One Last Mission
by Spiffylein
Summary: plays somewhere before continuum, team fanfic with some shipping and an old enemy
1. Chapter 1

One Last Mission

She rolled in bed from one side to another. Slowly she opened her eyes and saw the free space next to her. Unsure of anything and everything, her fingers crawled to the empty space. `Where had he gone? ` Checking her watch she realized it was almost midday. She had slept far too long and he had it let happen. With a yawn she swung her legs out of bed.

The chicken was on the BBQ outside and the salad was prepared. He had made her the best lunch she could think of. His heartbeat stepped up a notch every time he was thinking of her.  
He remembered this morning as he woke up, far too early for his taste. She was still sleeping, curled up in bed.

She stepped outside the bedroom and sniffed. What a brilliant smell hung in the air. Smiling, she followed the tasty scent. She reached the kitchen with the big windows. Looking outside she saw him standing there, beer bottle in one hand and a metal stick in the other. He had his back to her, but she could see he was singing to himself. The light rhythmic swing of his hips gave it away. Noticing that he wore her favorite jumper, she hurried outside to greet him on this new and beautiful day.

"Morning, sweetie." He greeted her as she had covered his eyes with her hands. Turning around, he placed the bottle on the side table and left the stick on the grill next to the chicken. "How are you today?" With a big lovely smile he placed a kiss on her lips. The touch sent shivers down his spine. She tasted like a soft and warm summer rain.

"I am absolutely fine. There is nothing cruves with me." She teased him, remembering back when he had the download of the ancient library in his head. With her hands she took his face in a loving embrace and placed a feather soft kiss on his waiting lips.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

By now she was dressed and had set the table. The chicken was cooked to perfection and, on his request, she had opened a bottle of red wine, dry and fruity.

The birds sang them both a love song as they were sitting in the garden enjoying life. That was the part which they both had been waiting for for so long: too many sacrifices and loss of friends along the way. She was still in the Air Force working hard every day, and he had retired a year ago. She didn't want him to, but he had insisted. He told her that his knees didn't want to do the job anymore and that he felt it was time to get what he always wanted: her! It was a small wedding a couple of months ago with their closest friends and family. She had moved into his house. She loved it the first time she had laid eyes on it because it was bigger and had so much more space. They had tried for kids but so far there was no luck. The question of getting a dog hung around as well for about a year now. She loved dogs and for him? They been the better people anyway.

Both enjoyed their lunch as the doorbell rang. He got up and after a few steps he reached the front door and opened it. He saw a Major dressed in blue dress uniform. "General Jack O`Neill?" the Major asked the stunned man in front of him. "Retired", Jack answered, and his face spoke more than his words.

"I have orders, to escort you to the Pentagon, Sir. If you please would follow me?" Still in perfect posture he was waiting patiently.

"What's this about, son?" Jack was now confused. He was retired and was enjoying his chicken lunch with his lovely wife. Why would the government now speak to him? What did they want now?

"That would be classified, Sir." No facial expression escaped the Major's face as he was answering.

"Well, it still has to wait. You want to come in? I've got chicken on a BBQ," He waved his hand into his house as a signature of invitation.

"With all due respect, Sir, It is very important and urgent. It can`t wait," came the prompt reply in perfect military order.

"Nope, my chicken is important. I am retired. If the government wants something of me, they must wait. So, come in or wait outside. But I will have my lunch." He turned towards the garden again and left the door open.  
Back outside, Jack sat next to his wife in no time. His chicken was not hot anymore and he had lost his appetite anyway.

"I need to go," he told her softly in an apologizing tone.

"Where to?" Her eyes told him all he needed to know. She would understand with time.

"Washington D.C. Apparently someone doesn't like my retirement. So, I just must check up on some stuff. The Major who is waiting ever so patiently by the front door said it is classified, urgent and important. I will try to be back as soon as possible." He placed a kiss on her forehead and after he had changed into some decent looking clothes, he stepped in front of his house where the car was waiting for him.

A short drive, a flight and a spinning head, which felt for him like one too many rounds on a rollercoaster later, the transportation arrived at the Pentagon. The General was led to an office which he knew too well. After he had been announced and welcomed in, he opened the door.

All the men who belonged to any kind of military unit snapped to attention. A formal salute was shared all around. Even with Jack having been retired, his name was so big, and his reputation had gone so far before him, that for most members of the Air Force it was an honor to meet Major General Jack O`Neill.

After awhile everybody was seated around a table. Jack looked from one to another and could not find any reason to be that important to get him out of retirement. For the fieldwork he was far too old anyway by now. So, what's the point?

"Thank you all for coming and welcome." The man who now was standing in front of everybody seemed unfamiliar to Jack. He recognized a few faces. A lot had changed since he retired a year ago.

A few heads nodded and he carried on. A few points were mentioned, and Jack already had become bored. What was he doing here? He fought off the feeling to just close his eyes and go to sleep when he heard it: one word that made him more awake than he was feeling ever before.

"Sorry, son. Can you please repeat what you just said?" Jack shuffled in his chair and scuffled his hair, eyes big and mouth open.

"Uhm, yes, Sir. I said that we have confirmation on the System lord Ba`al. He is working on regrouping and reforming his army. Sir, is there any problem with what I said?" the younger man looked at his papers and then back to Jack.

"All fine, thank you. You may proceed with your protocol." Jack waved his hand. His mind was already racing again. Memories flashed back in his mind. Jack had fought so many times against him with his team and other loyal soldiers. He had given it his all. Now it seemed like it had still not been enough.

Jack tried to pay attention to the rest, but his concentration was with Ba`al. He had to stop him once and for all. That would mean bringing the band back together again. For one ride only, one last ride to stop him, once and for all.

It still took awhile but eventually the meeting was over. Jack fumbled around in his pocket and pushed the speed dial button after he had found his phone. He had to contact his wife and then had to see if he could find Daniel and Teal`c.

"O`Neill" he was greeted with the best sound a voice could make how she pronounced his name. He was melting on the spot. Even after all these years of them working together and then apart and now living together, he just couldn't believe that he was so lucky as to be with Sam.

"Hey, Sam, it's me. Look, I just had some very disturbing news. We need to meet. How about in three hours? In this time, I will find out as much as I can. You need to do me a favor. Try to find Daniel and Teal`c. It is very important. No, I won't tell you on the phone. Take care of you… yeah, I know. Me too… see you tomorrow." He hung up and let out a deep sigh. The day just could not get any better.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam put the phone to the side, looked out the window and started to think. It must be pretty serious if Jack was asking for his old team. She knew where they would meet up later but that was about it. She had absolutely no idea where to find either one of her friends. She was going to phone the SGC. That would be a good start. Maybe there would be something like a last known address. Sam grinned at this thought. Teal`c and an address. Yeah, sure. Daniel was the same. He travelled around everywhere. How could she find them?

The phone rang and a young female voice announced the name and the base. The Colonel stated her name, rank and issue she was calling about. She was on hold not long just to hear an ever so familiar voice. "Hey Sam, I heard you've been looking for me? How can I help you?" Daniel was just there for a short visit on the base to catch up with some paperwork. He knew that he would only find it in the database in the computer system here on base. Working so long for the SGC had its advantages. So now his former teammate had called and asked for him.

"Daniel, nice to hear your voice. Jack is in Washington. I have no idea what is going on, but someone pulled him out his retirement yet again. It must be very important as he asked me to find you and Teal'c. We meet tomorrow. If you like and if you have the time, just join us. My flight is booked. I am sure there is more space available." Sam bubbled all the information in lightning speed into Daniel's ear. She told him when her flight was going and that she was looking forward to seeing him again. It had been awhile. She remembered the last time: it was her wedding day, nearly a year ago. He was Jack's best man. The sun was shining, and all was decorated with flowers. It was the best day in her life when she finally, in legal terms, could hold his face in her hands.

Daniel had promised to send a message out for Teal'c. To Daniel's knowledge, he was on Chulak with his son Rya`c.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Some hours later.

Sam had packed a small suitcase with Jack's and her stuff. Daniel had phoned her back. He had left a message for Teal'c and was hoping the big guy would respond very soon. He also had let her know that he would take the same flight as she did. That got them both a bit of time to catch up.

The Colonel got in her small car and drove to the airport. This little half city - half military operated airfield was exactly right. It had all the necessary connections to bigger airports and right now it would bring them to the Capital itself.

Looking for a parking lot, slowly Sam drove around. She didn't have a clue why it was so full here. She saw Daniel's old car. He was here already. Finally, she parked her car in a small corner and hurried to the Main hall to greet her friend. Her face lifted even more as she saw who was standing next to Daniel. He had reached the big Jaffa. It was a joy for all three to finally get together again. Nobody knew what this was about: only what Sam knew from Jack and that wasn't much. They talked, laughed and had a good time as the plane landed safe and sound a few hours later at Davison AAF, one of the military operated airports at Washington D.C.

After a short drive, Sam and her passengers reached the car park. The little coffeehouse just outside Washington was one of Jack's favorite spots. They often had met there when he was still working at the Pentagon.

Jack had already waited for his wife to join the meeting and was positively surprised when he realized who was with her. Never would he have dreamed of getting all four of them together again so quickly. He noticed how tired everybody looked. He guessed there had been more talk than sleep on the plane. So, he would make it short for now. Just the basics. Everybody needed a good rest. Then they would come up with a plan.

Sam gave him a big kiss and sat herself down. She noticed how tense the body language of her husband looked. There was no doubt it was extremely important.

The order was made, and Jack cleared his throat. That was the point he always hated the most. He never knew how to start a conversation like this.

"Morning Campers. Glad you all made it." He looked around and saw three faces who trusted him blindly. "Yesterday, I had a meeting here. There is new information on Ba`al." Jack paused to let the information sink in.

"I was under the impression we killed him?" Daniel found his voice again but still had an irritation on his face.

"Yes, we had all been thinking that. Ba`al has some clones and no one knows how many there are around. For now, we must take it very seriously. If the real Ba'al is still somewhere in our galaxy, we must find him and destroy him. Otherwise he will only clone himself some more little puppets." Jack leaned himself back and kept his mouth shut. Coffees were placed on top of the table and the waitress left with a smile. That little interruption gave all the members of SG1 enough time to think about the new information they all had just been given.

"O`Neill, where do we find Ba`al? He could be anywhere as far as we know," stated Teal'c with concern.

Sam sipped on her coffee. That was the last thing she had expected to have happened. But of course it would. Life was just not exciting enough anymore. She felt that since Jack had left as the leader of the team, SG1 was not the same anymore. They were still friends and were still looking out for each other. But the family feeling was not there anymore. That's what Jack had done so well. He kept them all together no matter what. He was their father and they had been his kids.

"Just right now? I haven't a clue. We will come up with something. We always did," Jack replied hesitantly.

The coffee was finished, and it was quiet at the table. Everybody was thinking and tried to come up with something. Nothing so far.

"Ok Kids. I will go back to the Pentagon and see what else they have and try to get some more of this information from yesterday. You have a nice day's rest. You all look like you could use it." With that he stood up, gave a sloppy salute and turned to walk to his car. He knew Sam would follow for another kiss and he surely would not be disappointed. For that he knew her to well.

By the count to three she was next to him. With a big smile on his face he turned to her, leaned in and gave her a big kiss. In his eyes, Sam deserved so much more, so much he could not give her. Or did he already? He didn't know. He would give her the stars in a manner of speaking. He gave her some planets and moons already.

"And General? Where you are sleeping tonight?" Sam mumbled under her heavy breathing with the fastest heartbeat that only Jack could cause in her body right now. Jack grinned, "in a bed". Sam gave him a playful slap on his arm and giggled. Both didn't realize that they had been watched by their friends.

Teal`c raised his eyebrow and turned to Daniel. "Do all married couples here on earth hit each other?" "Some do, some don't. It depends on the character. But you know Jack. He is a big kid and Sam seems to enjoy it as well to behave like that." The archeologist tried to explain. He wasn't sure it was good enough for his alien friend, but it had to be right for that moment. Sam came back to rejoin the small group.

"Jack is giving me a call later. How about we check in? There is a little motel not so far from here. Jack booked three rooms for us so we can refresh ourselves and wait till he comes back hopefully with more than he had just now. We all know that was not much - no proof or anything to go on as to whether or not this was true or just a rumor," Sam suggested. A simultaneous nod gave her the answer she needed. Daniel had paid already and headed after his friends to the car…


	2. Chapter 2

Jack was back at the Pentagon. Time to dig a bit deeper. Now that he knew his team, his friends, his family were on board, it was time to invite some more guests to the party. Very soon he found an empty office with a computer. Over the years in the Pentagon, he learned some computer skills whether he wanted to or not. After logging in he searched. Deeper and deeper his search had gone until he found something. High five. Due to his high clearance status, Jack realized that all the information had been locked away here in the normal world. The top-secret base in the mountains from Colorado was only known to a handful of officers outside these walls.

He had found what he was looking for. Mentally he noted everything important on what he read. He knew he couldn't print it out. The thought of letting this kind of information get into the wrong hands sent a shiver down his back.

Silently, the way he came, so he left. It was not suspicious to anyone that he was here. The General was well known and most people knew he was here today. After Jack had signed out and had left, he took his rented car and drove to the little motel. With a small smile, he recalled the beautiful face of his wife before his inner eye. Not much longer and he would see her again.

Parking his car at the carpark he was greeted straight away by all his friends. Everybody was eager to know what he had found out. There was no doubt, even for a second, that this was just a rumor. But the question was more: What information did Jack get on that matter at hand?

Minutes later all four members sat around a small table. Jack had explained that long-range satellites had registered a formation from three motherships on route to earth. By their counts, they had about five days till the ships reached earth. Sam's job was to get them all back into the mountain. Officially Jack was still retired. His clearance would even in an emergency still take another two days. Two days they didn`t have.

The plan was now early to bed and take the first flight tomorrow morning back to Colorado Springs and get on base. Major General Henry Landry would be in for a treat when all four came back for the last mission. It was clear he knew about the situation already so that would save time to explain. Jack just hoped he would cooperate and not step in his way. He knew the General very well. Landry was fair but often had his way of dealing with unusual situations, to say the least.

The next morning came and, as so often was the case, the General was the first to awaken. He knocked on the doors of his friends and shouted, "Rise and shine, sleeping beauty." As he came back, he stood in the doorway for a few seconds longer just so he could watch his wife. The moment she woke up he adored her more than ever before. So much innocence right there, right now. The blond hair was falling wildly and he could see the blue eyes starting to be focused on him. He started walking to her and stroked some of her hair out of her face. She thanked him with a soft kiss that tasted like flowers in a summer rain.

* * *

A few hours later,

Landry heard a knock on his door. He sighed softly and told the person outside to come in. As the door opened, Jack came in with a wide grin on his face. "Surprise!" He waved his hand once in the air. Both men stood opposite each other and greeted one another with a handshake. It had been a long time since they had seen each other but nothing had changed anyway.

Both men did not do use many words at all, so the conversation quickly went in the direction of why Jack was here in the first place. After all the available information had been exchanged and Jack had told his friend that there was no way on this planet that SG1, in his former formation, was not getting involved. He had all the resources at hand he could wish for.

On the way to Sam`s lab, he greeted some old friends and colleagues. To his dismay, he realized time doesn't standstill. It doesn't wait for anyone. He didn't know many faces anymore and so it didn't take O`Neill too long to reach his goal. In full military mode, he greeted the Colonel and inquired as to what she was doing.

"Sir, according to the new data we have from the satellite, the motherships are traveling faster than expected." She watched him closely and as his eyes widened just a tiny bit, she knew he understood very well what that meant.

"How long do we have?" He grimaced slightly with this question. Last time, years ago, there was a stargate on one of those ships. But now? He didn't have a clue how to get on it and to fight against the enemy.

"Just a bit more than a day, Sir." Sam studied the face she knew so well by now. He already looked tired in her eyes. Of course, he would never admit it so why even comment on it. She looked back at the screen in front of her.

"Any idea of how to destroy the ships? Or how do we get on board?" Jack did not ask Sam in particular, but more for his own sake just to have asked the question. He knew she was way smarter than him in that matter, but he doubted that she would come up with a plan.

"Sir, there is away." She grinned at him and his surprised face. "We need a few of the F-302's, a lot of luck, and some spacesuits. Sir, if this works we will be able to get onto those ships." Now her face was stern. As she spoke, Sam realized that this plan was crazy, even more, crazy than any they had ever done before. These ships were traveling so fast. How do they even plan to match their speed for them to jump out of the gliders and land safely on those ships, not even speaking of the oxygen matter? The traveling must be very light which means there would not be much room for any unnecessary items.

"Have I told you that this is nuts?" Jack's neck hair stood up so tall as if there was a competition going on as to who could stand the tallest. "Where do we find pilots who are crazy enough to do this?"

"You got at least one." Without either of them realizing it, Mitchell had stepped in. He heard the last question and without knowing what it was about, he offered his help.

"Hey, Mitchell, nice to see you. Good, we will count you in. Got some friends who have the clearance like you? We need four pilots and four gliders. I will talk to Landry. Colonel, teach Daniel and Teal`c what we just learned. The briefing is in one hour. Mitchell, you are with me." Jack wasn't waiting for the younger man. In large steps, he was already on his way to the office of his friend and the commander of this base.

The hour ran through their hand like sand on a beach. Henry had coordinated all the necessary steps Jack had asked for. So far there had been four gliders arranged and three pilots found. SG1 plus Mitchell and Landry were sitting now in the briefing room. Daniel had found some blueprints from somewhere that showed in quite a bit of detail how these ships were built in the first place. The discussion over this mission took a long time. By the end, there was a solid foundation of who would do what and the amount of ammo that would be taken on the ships to cause the destruction everybody wanted.

* * *

A few hours later SG1 plus four pilots and the four gliders were standing ready for the mission on Peterson Air Base. Jack had a strange feeling in his gut and was hoping all would go well. They had to save this planet once again and it wouldn't be easy (as if this was ever the case.)

Everybody took their place and, as the clearance came, the gliders got in the air. It took them a while to get into the open area of space. One last look at the blue planet beneath them and the journey into the unknown was in full swing.

With the ability to hyperjump, it didn't take too long. The ships came into view: big massive black ships with a golden colored pyramid in the middle. The preparations had been made and SG1 waited for their leader to give the command. Due to a new cloaking device, the gliders came very near to the three motherships without being detected.

The signal came and all four team members jumped and landed. Teal`c helped Daniel as he nearly fell off the surface and would have been lost forever. Little time was left before the oxygen would run out. Carefully they made their way to a door. If the blueprint was correct a door would come into view any second. Jack looked at his team members and could see that his Colonel already seemed to struggle. He needed to hurry. Where was that door? He so wished it to be easy just for once. But, no, trouble always had to find them.

The gliders were long gone. He was glad that even after they jumped, the cloaking devices kept them safe. There it was. He found it. The entrance. One last look around to signal his team to stay clear. Sam was hanging limp in one of Teal`c strong arms. Time was running out. The C4 was placed carefully as he looked for a hiding place. He found one and pressed the button. Nothing happened. He pressed again and still nothing. He felt the panic arise and his throat gets tied up.

A look over to his friends...now Daniel struggled as well. Teal'c seemed to control it very well. He moved back to the device and checked it over. It was the igniter. The faulty mechanism was replaced and Jack was hiding again, button pressed and the door flew open.

He managed to pull Daniel to safety in the ship and saw how Teal'c got in with Carter in tow as well. On their last breaths, the General opened a door and pushed Daniel through. He held the door open just long enough for Teal'c to join them with his precious cargo. After the door closed itself, SG1 was laying on the floor. Drawing oxygen in large deep breaths Jack rolled himself over to check on his Colonel. No breathing. He opened her mouth, closed her nose and blew some air in it. Her pulse was weak, but her heart was still beating. He blew again and after a third time, she started to breathe on her own again.

Jack collapsed back onto the floor. That was close, too close. After a few moments, he got himself up. His team was still with him and all were accounted for.

"Teal`c, take point. Daniel and Carter after you and I cover our six. Move out people," he whispered and pointed with two fingers to another door. It wasn't certain on which ship they had landed and whether or not they would face Ba`al. But, either way, it would be a fight to the last man standing.

Slowly and without noise, they moved further into the ship. So far, there was no enemy to face at all. This worried Jack a little. He had been on those ships before and always there had been lots of Jaffa's around. But not now. He wondered if Ba`al didn't have as much of an army around him as he would make everybody believe.

Teal`c stopped in front of a double door. "O`Neill, this is the control room in the front. We need to be careful when entering." With a nod, silently, Jack gave signals with his hands. His team swarmed out into hiding again. Another C4 at the door and another push at the button. Teal`c was the first one to get into the room, his Zat'nik'tel ready. He fired in all directions he could see or hear movement. A few seconds later the whole excitement was over. Five bodies lay on the floor. Carter already came in to secure their hands on their backs. Jack looked out the big window and could see the other two ships in all their mightiness.

"Teal`c, would it be possible to shoot at them both together? I mean if we shoot at one the other will shoot back at us. But maybe we can shoot at them together. We will still have the surprise factor on our side," O`Neill pointed out. He knew the answer already but hoped that his big friend would tell him otherwise.

"No, the weapons are not strong enough to take them out with a single shot. If we shoot at either one of them they will know and shoot back." The Jaffa replied.

"Jack, we have gliders in the hangar bay. Would it not be possible that we can fly over and enter another ship?" Daniel pointed out. A dead silence followed while everybody was thinking. The archaeologist had a point. But would it be as easy as this ship to enter?

After a while, which seemed for Daniel like an eternity, Jack gave his agreement. He didn't have another plan. "Daniel you are with Teal`c. Carter, you are with me." With that, he left the room.

Teal`c didn't follow straight away. He pressed a few buttons and by Sam's look, he smiled and told her to trust him.

* * *

"Not much further my Lord. The Planet you chose should come into sight any moment now." A Jaffa who was standing at the control panel of a Goa'uld mothership brought his leader up to date. Ba`al was standing in front of the big window and waited with excitement till Earth came into his view.

"Very well. This will teach the Tau'ri a lesson." He posed like a big statue with his hands behind his back. It symbolized a strong leader he learned once and adapted this stand for himself.

* * *

The hangar door opened. Teal'c had requested to be let in by one of the ships. Without thinking about it, he was granted his wish. Jack was also surprised that it did not even require a reason. But he took it how it would come. Take another ship out and fire at the last one. That was the plan; they all agreed on it.

The two gliders landed safely on the other ship. Everybody had their weapons ready to fire. Not often had Jack given the command. Now it was one of those moments. "Shoot to kill!" he shouted as the cockpits opened and the first Jaffa's came into sight. A raging battle was over before it had begun. Ten Jaffa's dropped dead on the ground as Jack asked if all of his team was ok. Every one of them replied with a "yes." Jack looked at his arm and saw a big open wound where a staff blast had hit him. He bit his tongue. Now was not the time for pain. As SG1 was standing a few minutes later in front of the gliders, a wave of pain washed over him and Jack dropped on one knee. Carter was the first to respond. She got down to his level and started already wrapping it when she asked him why he didn't say anything.

"I didn't think it was that bad. When I was sitting, and the adrenalin was still high I didn't feel a thing. Just wrap it and it will be ok." He hissed through his teeth. He didn't like to be the center of attention especially not now as there was so much more at stake. The ships still needed to be blown up and a planet to be saved.

After everybody was ok and ready to move on, Teal`c took point again. Jack was sure that all the noise had not been unnoticed. Surely some more of the snake guys would come out to play. Carefully and with his zat ready, Teal`c moved forward. Behind him came Daniel and Sam and O'Neill as the last to cover the end.

This ship already had more Warriors on board, and it took them longer to get to the control room. If someone would have followed the highly trained team, they would easily find their way. All the bodies that been laying around seemed like the breadcrumbs in a fairy-tale. Just before the control room had been reached, Jack needed a break. He leaned against a wall and his breathing became more and more heavy. The pain seemed to become excruciating.

"General, stay here. We will take the control room over and let you know afterward." Sam guided her commanding officer to the floor. He was heavily swaying from one side to another. At least out here, nobody had to keep an eye on him. If he were to lose his consciousness, and she was sure he would in the next few seconds, at least he was saved from more wounds.

As Jack sat on the floor, he just saw how his team entered. It was time to let go. He had fought the obvious long enough. Now he ran out of strength and let himself drift into oblivion.

The rest of SG1 didn't have any trouble overcoming the last resistance of the enemies. They all had been too surprised when the door had opened and the bullets were hitting them one by one. Now the second ship was under the control of the Tau`ri. Still, no Ba`al which only leaves the last ship. Sam was already back outside to see how her CO was doing.

As she reached Jack, she saw the sweat pearls on his forehead. He still was out cold. Sam reminded herself of the moment when she had asked him if he would like to have something against the pain. He had said no. Even then she could see how much pain he was in but he would not take it. Jack said he needed his mind clear and took her promise, no matter what: she would not give anything to him till they were all back at the SGC. The Colonel struggled under that promise. She cursed him repeatedly for being that stubborn.

Daniel was now standing beside his friends. Seeing the Colonel in so much distress he pointed out that he never gave Jack a promise like that. If Sam was ok with it, he was happy to give a small dose to his leader friend. Sam's head shot up in the air and she wasn't sure if this was the right thing to do. Jack had begged her not to give him anything and now here she was seeing a way around that promise. An opportunity was ahead which would make things easier.

"Thank you, Daniel but I can't allow it." With that, Sam sat next to Jack and pulled him a bit closer to her shoulder.

"That's ok, no apology needed, Sam. Not from you anyway." He looked at Jack who started to flutter his eyelids. "From him, yeah, I would take it. How can he make you give such a promise? He should have known better." In his head, Daniel cursed at his friend but wouldn't say it out loud in front of the Colonel.

"Hey Kids." Jack opened his eyes and looked around to assess the situation. "Sorry about that. What did I miss?"

"Not much O`Neill. All warriors are taken care of and only one Mothership is left. I assume that's where we find the system lord Ba`al." Teal`c replied as he just came to join in with the conversation of his friends…

* * *

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

"Carter, help me up, will ya?" Jack struggled to his feet with the help of his team. Not only Sam, but Daniel and Teal'c as well gave him a helping hand. He smiled to himself. `Yes, SG1 is still a family`.

"Kids, any ideas? We still have to destroy that other ship." Jack pointed out the obvious. He looked around into two hard-thinking faces and one he couldn't read at all.

"OK, what do we have and what do we not have?" The General himself remembered a mental trick from basic survival training years back.

"We have a mothership and we do not have the planet saved yet, O`Neill," Teal`c pointed out without losing any of his stern facial expression.

"Geezz, Teal`c. Thank you, big guy." Jack looked at his friend in disbelief and out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sam trying hard not to laugh too hard considering the circumstances.

"We could fire at the other ship with everything this vessel has got and just hope for the best outcome," Sam joined the conversation. Time was running out on them and they needed a decision fast.

"We could. That's probably the best idea anyway." Jack agreed and turned to Teal`c. Facing him, he requested that the Jaffa go with Sam to weapon controls and on his mark fire everything that this ship has.

Earth was in sight now. Jack stood at the window for a moment and kind of enjoyed the view. He loved his homeworld. For him, there was no better planet on which to live.

"General, I have an idea. I need a few seconds to modify the laser beam. This way we may have a better chance to destroy the ship much more quickly." Over the radio, while on the way to her destination, Carter told her CO what she had in mind. O`Neill had promised to wait as long as possible, till he would give the command.

"Carter, whenever you're ready. We are getting close."

"A few more seconds, General. I am nearly done."

Both ships came close to a few thousand miles near earth. Jack swallowed hard. "Carter. I can see my house again!" Jack looked at Daniel and the younger man returned the look. If the beam does not come any time soon, the whole mission would be for nothing. The planet would not be saved and too many lives would be lost.

"Got it, Sir. Stand by for the fireworks," Carter informed the General and hoped he would like what was about to come.

A strong red beam escaped the ships from the top and hit its target right where it hurt the most.

"Carter, what have you done? That was a hell of a beam," Jack radioed to his Colonel.

"I have coupled the Naquadah bombs with the main laser. The result was a 100 times stronger red beam. What we just saw made severe damage to the target," Carter explained but knew all too well that Jack would have only half listened. So long as the mission was completed, her CO didn't much care about how to get the results.

"Jack, have you seen this?" Daniel pointed at the heavily damaged vessel.

"Whatcha mean?" Jack stepped next to his friend and watched the other vessel erupt in more and more explosions. Carter did make her best shot so far.

"There was a white beam. It looked like the beam you can see when rings have been activated. The beam went to earth. Jack, if I am right, Ba`al escaped to earth. This makes it so much harder to find him." Daniel's words came out faster and faster.

"Oh, Boy." Jack sighed and contacted Teal`c and Carter. Jack had been promised the last time, that when the time comes, he could keep one mothership. So now he had seen his chance and was for keeping that one.

After coming back all together, he had contacted the SGC and notified the base on the newest suspicion and how it all went. In a few words, the main picture had been explained and transport via the rings had been arranged. New special teams transported on board and SG1 transported down to earth for the briefing. Jack knew that this mission was far from over. His mission was to eliminate Ba`al once and for all and to keep earth clear of his destruction. Jack knew that he and his team had only partly succeeded and that he had to find the system lord. After all, he still had his private desire for payback.

* * *

Briefing room SGC

Jack and his team got themselves cleaned up and had been waiting now for a debriefing with General Landry. After Jack had reported to earth for the first time, all sensors and detectors had been put in motion to find Ba`al. So far, no luck.

Jack sat at the table and played with a pencil in his hand while Daniel and Sam had a conversation over some doohickey. Teal`c used his time to perform a light version of Kelno'reem. Teal`c knew he didn't need it anymore since his symbiote was gone but he enjoyed the quiet time, his little bubble all for himself.

Jack sighed and flipped his pencil away. "Never in the history of boredom has anyone been more bored than I am right now."

Right at that second, the other two-star General entered the room. "I am sorry to have kept you all waiting. We have some news. A satellite from the Chinese has registered a signal about the time when Ba`al ringed himself down. The signal is in the woods of Minnesota. I am ordering SG1 to drive to the coordinates. The local sheriff is all excited to get to meet you guys. Officially we don't have any jurisdiction. All is still classified, and I don't need to remind you all, you are not allowed under any circumstances to talk about what we are doing." Landry turned around on the way to his office. "Jack, I need a word with you in my office."

The room cleared itself and Jack knocked on the office door to the room in which he sat for a year himself. After the usual welcome yada ya, Jack came straight to business. "Hank, what can I do for ya? If you wanna go out for a beer you just must ask and not order me into your office, which is very nicely decorated by the way." Jack looked around and sat in the chair opposite the leader of this facility. "Thanks, Jack. I want to ask you something…." Both men looked at each other in the eye. It was a more fun staring contest till the phone rang.

General O`Neill was about to leave when Landry signaled him to stay seated. He sat himself back down and quickly became bored again. His fingers wandered along the chair arms up and down and Jack tried hard to behave himself like a man in his position should do. `Oh crap. Booooooooored again, ` his mind screamed. He would rather sit with Sam on the sofa and have a nice cold beer. She would have a glass of red wine, the fireplace would be on and soft slow music would be playing. She would snuggle up to him and he would play with her fingers in his hand.

His thought had been interrupted as his friend ended his phone call. Not happy about the fact that he had to come back to reality, Jack grimaced slightly and moved his attention back to where it belonged at present.

"Hank, you wanted to ask me something?" Jack faced the music in front of him. There was no second to waste. He still needed some preparations to do before they all shipped out tomorrow and hopefully, it will all be over soon. He can go back to his nice retirement life and enjoy his wife as much as she enjoys him.

"Yes, sorry I kept you waiting." Landry put a sly smile on his face and sat himself down behind the heavy desk. "I wanted to ask you, what do you think about Lt. Charles Benedick?" the staring contest continued between the two Generals till Jack answered softly, "He is a good kid, why?"

Jack's memories beamed him back to that day when he met the little boy sitting on the side of the road by himself. That was now over fifteen years ago.

"He is a good kid. Maybe too good. He is over-excited and throws himself into every adventure. He is unstoppable when it comes to weapon fights. He saved his team more times than you can count on your fingers." Hank watched the face of Jack.

"So, he is good, what's your point?" Jack gritted his teeth. He helped Charles so much to become what he always wanted. He gave him a place in a military academy and managed to give him the best possible training. Charles always had a fire burning inside him which gave him the energy he needed.

"The point is, he takes unnecessary risks. I have the feeling this guy is suicidal. I know you have known him for a very long time. He has a very big talent and if he is carrying on as he does, I am scared he will not have a long career ahead of him." Landry's eyebrows closed in on each other and Jack could see the concern in the eyes of his friend.

"Ok, so you want me to talk to him?" Jack took a deep breath. That's exactly the stuff he didn't miss: speaking with younger soldiers and telling them to slow down. For what? If they enjoy the service that much and if they are good at what they are doing, let them have some fun and let them kick some alien asses.

"If you don't mind. He is very young and already a Lieutenant. I would love to see him make it to a Colonel or even General." Hank stood up again and reached over his desk to thank O`Neill for the effort.

* * *

"Come in," a young voice answered behind the door. He snapped to attention as the two-star General entered his small quarters.

"At ease, Lieutenant. May I come in?" Jack smiled and pointed into the room

"Sure, there is a chair for you, Sir." Charles pointed to a chair while he sat on his bed. "General, what gives me the honor of your visit?"

"Charles, we need to talk." The General cleared his throat and took a deep breath.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam looked up from her desk as she heard a knock on her door. "Come in?" To her surprise, it was Teal`c who entered. It was very rarely that the Jaffa visited her and now was one of those rare moments.

"Teal`c, what can I do for you?" Sam smiled at her friend. She respected him more than any other alien lifeform.

"Colonel Carter, I have a strange feeling. I do not know why or how to describe it to you," Teal`c started.

"You should go to the infirmary then instead. The Doc and the nurses are better at helping you than I am," Sam pointed out as she realized that the Jaffa in front of her had started to sway a bit. She picked up her phone and contacted the infirmary to send a meds team out immediately.  
"Teal`c, sit down." Pushing a chair under him the Colonel just managed to catch her friend right in time. White slime started to drip from her friend's mouth and Teal'c sat slumped in the chair without stirring.

A few seconds later the first medical guys arrived and took over. Teal'c was put on a gurney and pushed the few yards to the infirmary. Sam was ever so glad that both facilities had been on the same floor. The Colonel hurried behind and fumbled in her pocket for her phone to notify Jack. He needed to know as soon as possible what was going on and to adjust his plan accordingly.

Two medical teams huddled now around Teal`c and organized a battery of tests to find out what was wrong with him. Sam waited outside the Infirmary so as not to stand in the way, as Jack came around the corner.

"Carter, what's going on?" Jack looked a bit confused.

"Teal`c came to me and told me that he was not feeling so well and then he collapsed. So, my guess is we just must wait to find out what is going on. But right now, after I have seen him in my lab, I doubt that he is fit for the mission tomorrow. I am not sure where we can get another special forces guy who is highly trained and available." Sam watched her husband closely. It felt so strange that he couldn't hug her to comfort her and that he didn't call her by her first name. But that's what it was right now, and she had to deal with it. They both had done it for over eight years.

"Ah, we will see. I might just have the right guy for us. Give me a few minutes. Stay here till I am back," he called over his shoulder as he was already on his way.

* * *

It didn't take Jack long to knock on the door of Lt. Charles Benedick again. After the conversation they both had earlier, it was clear that the kid needed something more challenging. He was like Jack himself: very easily bored.

"Hey, kid, ready for a mission?" Jack asked him as the door opened.

"Always!" came the reply out like a gunshot.

"OK, pack your stuff. I need to talk to General Landry before to get you cleared off base. But tomorrow morning you are going on a mission with SG1. You will do as I say and when I say it. No extras and no heroism. Leave that to me." Jack grinned widely as he saw the big eyes of the young man.

"Sir. Yes, Sir!" The door closed. Jack could hear the excitement inside - now doors were being opened and drawers were being pulled out. With a smile on his face, the General made his way to the base commander. Now he needed the permission of Landry. Even if Teal`c was back to normal, the kid would come with them. He had earned it.

A short knock and a quick entry into the room later, Jack was again in the office he knew very well. Hank watched him and knew that the man in front of him was up to something, just not sure of what yet. He was now going to find out. He arose from his chair.

"Jack, how can I help you now?" he walked around his desk.

"It`s about Lieutenant Charles Benedick." He looked at the face so close to his.

"What has he done now?" Landry took a deep breath to prepare himself.

"Oh, it's not what he has done. It`s about what he will do. Or better yet what you will let him do." Jack grimaced with the last words. For him, it sounded a bit too cheesy and like a cliché.

"And what would that be?" Hank raised his eyebrows.

"Hank, I need him for the mission tomorrow. I am here to ask if the Lieutenant can, with your permission, join SG1 under my command?" Jack stood still for a second in what seemed to him like eternity itself.

"Permission granted. Take good care of that kid. I told you, I want to see him at minimum as a Colonel." Hank, standing now in the middle of his office, moved not one muscle in his face. He knew Jack very well and knew that he had all sorts of arguments ready in his head just to get what he wanted. But the amusement was on his side as Jack started with his little list before realizing that his wish had already been granted.

"Thanks a lot, General." He greeted Landry with a sloppy salute and left the office again. On his way back to the infirmary he stopped by the Lieutenant`s quarters just to confirm the mission and which time was their meeting and when he should be ready to go. Jack had explained that due to the time now, Charles would be learning everything he needed to know in the car.

Back at the front door of the infirmary, he saw how Sam and by now Daniel were standing there like ordered and not picked up yet.

"Any news on Teal`c?" Jack spoke now quietly as if he would interrupt something.

"Not yet," Sam replied and remembered the conversation they both had had before he left. "You got any news yet?"

"Yep, we have another team member." Jack smiled and before he could add anything, Daniel exploded in his face.

"Jack, how could you! Teal is still with us. He is not dead yet, but you already replaced him?" Daniel nearly screamed.

"Would you just calm yourself down? I am not talking to you if you behave like a child. What's wrong with you anyway?" Jack was a bit annoyed by now. He had other problems and certainly didn't need someone shouting in his face, especially not one of his closest friends who above all should know him better.

"I don't want to calm down." Daniel lowered his voice a bit and felt how Sam put one hand on his arm.

"That's better. So if you want an explanation, then you better pay attention." Jack's dark eyes glared at his friend and told him he better be quiet and behave or otherwise the full force of one General Jack O`Neill would come out. Daniel had seen Jack's temper and was sure he didn't want to force it out. He closed his mouth and gestured with his hand that Jack could start. He would not interrupt him.

In a few words, Jack told them what he had planned, how he came up with it and how it would all fit in. He assured Daniel that in the unlikely event that Teal'c was ok in the morning the young Lieutenant would still come with them.

Daniel was very calm in the end and he apologized to Jack for jumping down his throat so quickly. He knew he should have known better.

The General had ordered his team to call it a night and get some good rest. The next few days would be stressful enough for all of them.

* * *

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

The morning came and SG1 got themselves ready. All items were packed and the last meeting had taken place in the briefing room with SG1 minus the Jaffa. The door opened and Teal'c stood in the door frame. What he saw must have been quite a picture as he looked at five surprised faces staring at him.

"Teal`c?" Jack managed to say the name of his friend.

"O`Neill, I report myself ready for duty." Teal`c stepped in a bit further and stopped as no one tried to tell him to sit down.

"Are you sure? What did the good doctor say?" General Landry had found his voice now as well.

"I am cleared and ready for duty." Teal`c bowed his head slightly.

"OK, sit down. We will discuss anything afterward." With his arm, Landry waved to an empty chair. "Let`s move on, people"

The time had gone very fast. There wasn't even much to discuss anymore. It was just so everybody knew what was coming and what was not. The young man soaked up all the information that he could get like a sponge when water is spilled. He knew that not everybody was as fortunate as him and was allowed on a mission with the legendary flagship team SG1.

As the briefing was over, Landry had asked for Teal`c and Jack to join him in his office. He offered a seat to his visitors before the General himself sat down behind his desk.

"So, Teal`c, how is it possible after last night that you are with us again? From what I heard you had been on death's door." Hank met Jack's gaze and then looked over to Teal'c.

"I just feel fine and ready to go. For any other question, you may ask Doctor Lam." Teal`c answered truthfully.

General Landry got the phone in his hand and dialed the infirmary. After a short conversation, he hung up. "Ok, you got a clean bill of health. If General O`Neill feels comfortable with you re-joining his team, that's fine by me. But the last decision is his." He looked Jack deep in his eyes and a sly smile played around his mouth.

"Teal`c, are you certain that you are feeling fine? Nothing is hurting or itching you?" Jack grimaced with his face. He trusted Teal'c with his life and knew that his friend would not lie. If he said he is fit to join, then he will come with the team.

"I am certain O`Neill." Teal`c bowed his head slightly while answering the question.

"Ok, big guy. Get geared up. I meet you all in fifteen minutes." With that, he faced General Landry again. "I tell you, Hank, something is going on. Either Teal'c is much stronger than we all thought even without his symbiote or something else is going on. I just can`t put my finger on it." With a deep sigh, O`Neill stood up.

"According to Doctor Lam, it was one little parasite. After it was removed, Teal`c soon picked up on his health again. If I got that right from earlier, the parasite is still in a glass container here in the base just in case you want to have a look at it." Hank winked with one eye and escorted his friend out the door.

Jack was interested in the parasite. Why wouldn't he be? Before he knew it, he was standing in front of the laboratory where Doctor Lam had told him to meet up with her.

"General O`Neill, nice to see you. Thank you for meeting me here. The object of your desire is right this way." She turned around and led the way.

"Thank you for taking the time. I am sure you are very busy. We can keep it very short. I just want to see it. Maybe I have seen something like this before and can help so that it doesn't spread or anything like that." Jack showed his gratitude towards the Doctor.

"Here we go. General O`Neill, meet parasite xp34." Doctor Lam was holding a little glass container in front of Jack's face. He took it out of her hand and turned the container in all directions he could think of to get a clear picture. The parasite was not an ordinary one. This one he saw was black, with long tentacles that were moving constantly. If he did not know better, he would even think that the creature here was a little robot and not an organic life form.

"What is that for a thing?" Jack gave the glass container back. Now he had been shown some x rays and it confirmed what he was suspecting.

"Where did Teal'c get it from Doctor? I believe this is quite dangerous. And where on earth did you find it in his body?" Jack sat on one of the chairs which were nearby.

"He may have gotten it from his last mission. We do not have any idea how long he had it. It was not detectable in any post-mission medical tests we have here. The parasite moved from his abdomen towards his heart. If he had not had the help that he did, Teal`c would have been dead by now. I believe it is a very aggressive parasite. Now we need to study it. I believe you have seen that it is mechanical. The only ones I can think of right now who would build such a thing would be the replicators." With that, the Doctor secured the container again so the creature couldn't escape.

"I am thanking you. So, you think Teal`c is back to normal? Like, fit for a mission back to normal?" Jack asked her for his reassurance to do the right thing.

"I do believe it would do him good to rest another day. But I also know he will not do it. So as far as I know, yes, he is cleared by me and ready to go."

"Thank you. That means a great deal to me," Jack replied and turned to get himself ready.

"General?" Doctor Lam looked deep into his brown eyes.

"Yes?" Jack turned again and looked at her concerned face.

"Whatever you do, stay safe and bring your team back in one piece. I don't want anyone of you on my table fighting for their life. Doctor's orders." She smiled shyly and left him standing right where he was.

"I will try doctor, I will try," mumbled Jack to himself as he also left the room to finally get all the gear ready.

* * *

20 min later

"Are we ready to go, people?" The General grinned at his team, proud to have such capable friends behind him who always had his back.

"Ready to go, Sir," came the answer in unison and with a last salute from Jack towards Landry and the second part of the mission was on go. Driving by car would take a few hours so everybody made themselves comfortable. Jack sat next to Charles and as promised gave him more in-depth detail: everything he needed to know about Ba`al and the rest of the gang. Jack knew the kid got game and knew how to play along in the big leagues now.

* * *

20 hours later

SG1 had arrived at their destination a little less than an hour ago. According to the satellite data, which was available to the US Military, the house they saw in front of them was what they had been looking for. Of course, no one knew if the System lord was still there. But it needed to be checked out anyway.

It didn't take long to climb over the fence and after that, the five team members crossed a little woodland where a big house that looked more like a small castle came into the field of view. "A little door on the right-wing. That's where we go in. Carter, you take point. Teal`c follows, then Daniel and Charles. I cover our six. Move out, people." He spoke to his commandos in a low voice.

Jack welcomed the darkness which surrounded them. The moon, still hiding behind the tree line, indicated that no clouds had been present in the night sky so far. He knew they needed to move fast.

He signaled to Carter the command to go and completely silent they moved towards the house. Like a snake in the grass, the team sneaked forward and by the time they reached the house, the moon came over the treeline. O`Neill thanked whoever was watching over them for such good timing.

The door was open in no time to some stairs leading into the cellar of the house. As the team moved along Carter recognized a room for storage to the right and the left she found a long hallway. After a very short communication with her CO, the decision was made to split up. Charles would go with Teal'c and the Colonel, Daniel would go with the General.

Not even five minutes after they split up Daniel and Jack came across another hallway. They decided to go to the right and hope for the best. Slowly they moved along ready to shoot and ask questions later.

* * *

The other three members of SG1 did not have much luck at all. Just after splitting up they walked right into a patrol unit. Disarmed and thrown into a cold, wet and darkroom they could only wait. Sam was thinking of a plan to escape. Teal`c tried to come up with a solution himself and Charles, he tried to stay cool and learn as much as he could by watching his teammates. He could tell by their coolness that this situation was nothing new.

Nobody knew how much time had already passed when the door opened. Ba'al in person stood in front of Sam and Teal`c. "How nice of you to join me. The famous SG1. Where is the rest?" With an amused face, he watched every move of his prisoners.

"It`s only us. No one else." Carter announced with a steady voice.

"Yeah, sure, and tomorrow my auntie comes for a visit," Ba`al replied with a straight face. The Colonel nearly lost it. She didn't know that Ba`al had learned some sarcasm and she found that point very amusing. She was thinking of Jack. Maybe he would have taught him something. On the end, it would not surprise her at all.

"You will pay for all of it. My ships, my army, all of what I have lost, what I had to suffer. You're gonna pay for it all. Or you will tell me where your friends are. I know that you are not alone. They are out there." His voice was calm but inside his fire was burning higher and higher. If half of the earth's SG1 was here, then the chances of O`Neill being here were quite high. Oh, how he would love to get him in his fingers for one last time. How he would love to poke and probe that human again and show him finally who is the boss. It was certainly not that little cockroach called Jack O`Neill.

"Well, that is not good for us and not good for you either. We don't know anything, and we are still alone. Sorry, can`t help you on that matter." Carter replied and glared at the man in front of her. He was a lot taller than she was, but that was the least of her concerns right now.

Ba`al left the room again and placed a guard outside. There was no way right now for any of them to try something.

* * *

Jack and Daniel had found a way into the house by now. Carefully, they scurried from one dark corner to the next. Using every little space they could find they hid and listened to the noises around them. Guards walked up and down and the smell of cooked meat reached their noses. Jack sniffed a bit more than his younger friend. "I think Ba`al knew we were coming. He cooked for us to throw a party." O`Neill grinned and gestured to move further into the house. There was still lots to explore and not much time left on hand.

* * *

Charles looked at Teal`c and Sam as he started to breathe rather heavily. Touching his abdomen, he bent himself over and sunk onto his knees. Carter jumped to his aid to check him over. The color left the cheeks of the young man and sweat started to shine on the pale skin.

"We need some help here. Guard. Today if possible." Sam shouted and Teal'c stood at the door and again requested medical assistance.

"Don`t care. Let him die. One less to look after and feed. So, shut up and be quiet." The guard demanded.

"If you don't help him, he could die. Does your lord approve of it? Open the damn door and help him. I promise I won't do anything stupid." Sam replied with deep concern on her face.

The door opened and the guard looked critically from one prisoner to another. A second guard was standing outside the door. The first guard got himself down on his knees to check on the Lieutenant. He found a racing pulse and shiny pale skin. Before he could do anything, he also looked in the hole of a barrel which was attached to a Beretta.

"Get up slowly. Tell your friend everything is under control and that he can leave. No more assistance is needed." Demanding with a deep growling voice, the young man on the floor got himself up slowly. Teal`c and Sam stood against the wall out of the way. Neither one of them had seen that coming.

"Colonel, Teal`c come on. We have better things to do than to rot in that rat hole." With a hard kick in the neck, the guard dropped to the floor. In no time he was stuffed in the little prison room.

"Lieutenant, wait a second. I got a question for you." Carter tried to slow the young officer down. She needed to know what was going on. How did he do that?

"What is it? We don't have much time. Sooner or later the guy will be discovered. We need to find Daniel and the General." He tried to avoid the obvious.

"You will answer my question. I can make it an order, Lieutenant." Carter jumped into full military mode again. She certainly didn't have the time for games. But she knew right now she didn't trust the man in front of her. "What was that and how did you do it. I am not a doctor but even I had seen that you didn't have long to live. The symptoms that were shown were more like Pancreatitis symptoms. Am I correct?" She gazed into the eyes of the soldier.

"You are correct. It is a technique I learned a while ago on one of my missions. Since then it has come in handy from time to time. It takes a long time to master but, believe me, It`s worth it all the way. So, can we please move on now? If you have any other questions you can ask them on the way." With that, he gestured her to lead the way. They all still had a job to do.

* * *

Daniel and Jack had reached the main hall of the building. Big marble steps were leading up to a second floor. The big heavy wooden doors showed that whoever built this house in the first place had lots of money and taste. Golden stripes around the door frame rounded off the entire picture.

Daniel was already full of fire and flame and if the situation had not been that desperate from the beginning, he would have loved to spend more time here.

"Daniel lets go. You can play when it's over." Jack hissed as he had heard steps coming closer. "In here." He opened a door and waited till his friend was through. He silently closed it behind them. As he turned around, he had a look at what was in this room. Daniel had never made a sound so Jack had to discover it for himself.

"Oh, crap!" Jack was looking at some female eyes. He counted six pairs. Now everybody stayed calm and silent. The General could only hope for the best, that everybody would stay calm and relaxed.

"Hello," was all he could bring himself to say. This was so not his domain. Daniel was far better in talks like this. To his friend, he asked for some assistance.

"Hello, we mean you no harm. Please stay quiet. We will go on our way in just a second." Daniel tried to sound very friendly and smiled with his biggest grin. He knew that they couldn't afford to be discovered. Not now and not from women like them. They looked like the personal concubines of Ba`al.

"You can go through this door. It leads into another hallway. You must hurry. The guards come in regularly to check on us. They are due at any moment." A small shy woman explained and pointed at a door on the other side of the room half behind a curtain. Both men hurried to cross the room and disappear before anyone could discover them. Just as Jack closed the door without noise, the main door opened.

"Daniel, right now we have more luck than brains. So, I do hope it is holding. You are a very smart man so we should have more luck down the line," the General pointed out to a sly smiling archaeologist.

"Stop playing dumb, Jack. Now is not the time," he replied and moved on, one foot in front of another. The way they were walking on right now it was getting narrower by the step. Soon there would be no way to get any further. Daniel just hoped there was another door to enter.

Jack grimaced at the words he just heard and followed his friend without saying another word. He had no idea where he was or where to find Ba'al. He also had hopes that the other half of the team was still exploring the place as well and had more luck in finding the System lord.

A door was found right in time before Daniel in the front would have been stuck. The new room, which they entered right now, showed lots of ornamentation on the ceiling and the walls with lots of wooden flowers across them.

Jack explored the walls but could not find another way out. Was this the end of the line and they would they to go back?

* * *

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

Carter stepped behind the young officer. She never had heard of a technique like the one she had just witnessed. Making herself a mental note that once back at home she would do some research, she followed him. Teal`c had taken the cover on their six.

With his excellent hearing, Teal`c was the first one to hear the footsteps. He warned his friends and just in time the darkness had swallowed their bodies. Six Jaffa guards patrolled past them and, as soon as they came, that soon they left. Coming out of the shadows a quick decision was made as to which direction the journey should go.

* * *

While Jack was searching for a hidden door, Daniel felt like a kid in a toy store. He could not get his mouth shut so excited had he become. The closer he looked the more detail unraveled itself to him. Jack noticed that and could just shake his head. This was so typical for his friend.

The General took a lighter out of his trouser pockets and started to search for a draft. He was bored already to not find what he was wanting to find so badly. With his friend out of the picture, it was all up to him to get them out of this room.

"Daniel, I found something," Jack stated as the flame flickered wildly on a spot at the wall. Daniel wasn't responding. Jack looked at him and realized how much in awe his young friend was. To him, it seemed like a state of hypnosis. `Brilliant. Exactly what I needed right now...Daniel all wrapped up and useless.` The thoughts flew through his head.

Jack had found the mechanism by now and opened the door after a few attempts at the right combination. Daniel had not at all responded to him after another call. Jack had just dragged him into the next hidden tunnel away from the decorated walls which seemed all so fascinating to the archaeologist.

"Oh. Hi, Jack. I see you found a way out. How did I get here?" Daniel looked around himself and Jack had the impression that his friend had no memory of the last thirty minutes in the room. He sighed and, in a few words, explained what just happened.

"Good job that you had not been in that trance. Sooner or later somebody would have found us. But why didn't that affect you? I mean I know you have had all the training, but you also said that it does not help against alien stuff?" Daniel watched his friend out of the corner of his eye.

"Probably because I am not interested in stuff like that like you are. No offense, it looks nice but that's about it. Seen one, seen them all. Let's move on." Without another word to lose Jack started walking again with Daniel following on his heels.

* * *

The trio had found a way back into the house. Carter was sure that the disappearance from the cell had been noticed by now as she listened to the footsteps that were now running and not marching anymore. More careful than ever the search for Ba`al continued.

Charles had found a door just in time as too many guards came at the same time to assemble themselves. All three had now been standing on the other side of a small room. Listening to the talking of the Jaffa they were concentrating just in case a piece of information was dropped as to where Ba`al was hiding. Apart from lots of rooms and hidden tunnels and lots of guards to start with, the system lord seemed to have vanished.

It was very quiet in the little room. As the sound of a door opening reached the ears of the trio, Carter and Charles turned with a pulled p90 while Teal`c still tried to listen.

Four pairs of eyes stared at each other for a moment. Weapons were pointed at one another and in the dim light, as the Jaffa turned around, only the silhouettes from four humans were recognized. He didn't hesitate long and pulled his Zat'nik'tel.

"Don't shoot. It`s us. Daniel and Jack," Jack exclaimed as he heard the all too familiar sound of the weapon.

"General?" Carter asked in disbelief. She heard his voice, the voice she knew so well but could not believe she would meet him here. She had hoped that he had found the system lord already and had dealt with that matter. But it seemed like there was no such luck.

"Carter, hey. How is it going?" With the sound of weapons being dropped and the Zat been taken down, the words tingled around in the air.

"Oh, you know, same old same old. Been in a prison cell already. I didn't like it very much and left. Your young friend can do something I never saw before and Teal'c here just played it cool as usual. And yourself?" Carter started a little chit chat.

"Same old, same old. Danny here found some cool stuff and I dragged him away and myself? I am bored already with all these tunnels and rooms. We have found some nice-looking women, so it was not too bad." Jack grimaced at the last comment as he realized how it has must have sounded, and he felt it in the same second with a punch to his right upper arm.

"Kids, how do we proceed? We have searched almost every room by now and nothing. Is he even here or is it just his appearance?" Jack asked still dramatically rubbing his arm.

"He is here O`Neill. Ba`al had visited us while in the cell," answered the Jaffa now joining in.

"Sir, I suggest with the rising number of guards and the associated weapon power we should stick together from now on so that we may have a better chance." The Colonel stated more thinking out loud.

"Good. Teal`c you take point. I will cover our six. Move out, people." The order now was more a whisper, and everybody prepared themselves for what was still to come.

* * *

"My Lord. My men are not able to find the prisoners or the one you call O`Neill." With a bow, the first prime reported to his master.

"This house is big. It has lots of passages and rooms. They are somewhere. Keep on searching." High on a throne-like chair, the System Lord sat and announced his commands.

"As you wish." With that, the Jaffa with the golden tattoo left the room.

* * *

SG1 moved in trained steps along the floors searching one room after another. By now the search had gone on for hours and, so far, they were still not a step closer to finding what they had come for in the first place.

Just around the next corner, an ambush waited for them. As Jack would recall it later, it wasn't the big guy's fault. Teal`c moved around a corner and looked at the same time into the `opening` of a Zat. He moved backward and as everybody was taken by surprise. Other Jaffa's came and surrounded the team of Tau`ri.

"Lord Ba`al will be pleased, now that we have finally found you." One Jaffa stated and pushed Jack in the direction he was supposed to be going.

"You know, that is very rude. You could have asked nicely. I would have gone without any argument," Jack complained while slowly walking forwards followed by the rest of his team.

* * *

Ba`al was pacing up and down his big room when he heard a knock on the door. With great strides, he had crossed the room, and as he sat back on his throne he ordered his visitor to come in.

The first prime himself stepped up and announced to his Lord which great capture had been made. "May I present the Tau`ri warriors of SG1." With that he stepped aside and, after a long time, Jack stood opposite Ba`al once again. The General had sworn to himself a long time ago that the next time they would meet one must die.

"O`Neill, nice to finally meet you again. It's been a while." He stepped off his throne and towards the General.

"Oh, hey, Ba`al, how are you doing?" Jack grinned. "Nice to see you again. Keeping busy? Any new planets conquered lately?" His hands in his trouser pockets, he rocked a bit backward and forward.

"Yes, I am fine as always. I trust that I have to thank you for losing my ships up high in the sky?" the System Lord was standing very close before Jack.

"Which ships?" Jack looked him in the eye when Ba`al reminded him with a knife against his throat which ships he meant. "Yes, as always. It was a pleasure." Jack grimaced slightly and pushed the knife away with his left index finger.

"Bring them to the holding cells. Split them up into two pairs and O`Neill on his own. I've got plans for our reunion so I need him fully focused." Ba`al waved with his arm and SG1 was taken away.

* * *

General Landry stepped into the control room and enjoyed the sign the Stargate gave away right in front of him. His mind was with SG1. He knew that there would not be much radio contact and O`Neill had told him if he comes back and does it again he would do it his way. That had made the name of SG1 so big across the galaxy in the first place. Hank himself remembered what he once read in a case file when Colonel Samantha Carter stated "He's an amazing man. After everything he's done, he's still modest, quite self-effacing actually. He even likes people to think he's not as smart as he is. Bottom line: He's an incredibly strong leader who's given more of himself for this program than anyone has given for... well... anything I can imagine."

That sounded like his friend and he knew that when it all comes together Jack could be as stubborn as an ox. He had a unique way of showing his team the direction he wanted to go with his enthusiasm and the childlike excitement that he showed from time to time. Hank was sure that his friend was good to work with but not good to have as an enemy.

Still, he was concerned. He had read every file there was on this particular system lord and knew the history both men had together.

So here he was, waiting for a phone call or a good radio transmission, knowing it would not come until the mission was over.  
The General turned away from the amazing view and walked back to his office.

* * *

All prisoners had found their new home. Sam was paired with Charles and Daniel with Teal'c. Both cells had been placed together in one compartment. It was just the General's cell which happened to be in a different place. Sam was concerned about him. She knew how long it had taken him after the torture and the nightmares whenever he had fallen asleep to make them disappear. How many times he had woken up bathed in sweat in the infirmary. How many times she was sitting next to him to comfort him when he screamed in his sleep. She wished she could help her husband - make it stop or go instead of him.

The Colonel sat in a little corner. She didn't feel like talking or chatting. So, it was very quiet. From the distance, she could hear his screaming already. `Ba`al didn't lose any time at all. Oh, Jack, please stay strong. In your heart, I am with you. I give you my strength and my love, my passion and compassion. Jack, I know you can do it. Please believe in yourself. ` Sam's mind was racing and she didn't like it at all when she was unable to do anything. She was his better half here to protect him. Now she could not do it. But she would find away. Jack had told her once that she was a national treasure and now it was time to prove him right.

* * *

Jack's BDU Jacket was stripped away from his upper body. His arms were attached to some chains which were hanging from the ceiling. Ba`al was standing before him asking him one question after another. Jack was already tired of answering the same stuff all the time. "Don't know and don't care." That's what he had chosen today. According to his back, it wasn't what Ba`al wanted to hear. The Jaffa who was standing behind the General already raised his arm for another whiplash with the leather cord.

"Why you do this to yourself? You just must answer the questions correctly and it will stop. All will be over soon and no one will blame you," Ba`al stated and gave a hand sign for a different Jaffa to hold the pain stick on the bare skin of the prisoner. Jack tried but didn't succeed in not screaming. He was in agony. He didn't want to give his tormentor the satisfaction, but he couldn't help it. Fire came shooting out of his mouth and eyes. After the stick was removed, Jack`s heavy breathing was the only sound in the air.

"Bring him back to his cell. Give him some water. His physical condition is not as good as it was years ago when we had some fun. It`s a shame I don't have a sarcophagus here. That would make things so much easier and better for my liking." Ba`al ordered and licked his lips. He was already on his way to his chambers when he decided to stop by the cell tract.

* * *

Two Jaffa's unlocked the General from the chains and by grabbing him under his arm dragged him to his cell. Jack couldn't stand even if he tried. All his stamina was gone and after they had thrown him in that cell, he just laid there on the stone floor. His breathing had not gone down yet. He was just in too much pain. The cold stones helped his back to cool down and to ease some of his pain.

After a few minutes, Jack started the first attempt to set himself up. It took him a while. Lots of pain-related grimaces on his face showed the real state his body was in. He never would have shown it to anyone so long as he had some control of it.

His thoughts traveled to his wife. He saw her blue eyes, always sparkling when she looked at him. The sweet smile she had only for him. "Oh, Sam. I miss you. I do hope he leaves you alone. How much would I give for you and me so we could just sit at home in front of the fire with you in my arms," he whispered.

* * *

Ba`al was standing in front of the cell where Sam and Charles were held. He watched her for a few seconds and Sam wasn't sure what to make of him. From all the System Lords she had seen and met so far, he was the best looking one but by far the most dangerous one as well. She had read the reports over and over. For her, it seemed like she knew him very well. The question now was, how far would he go? Did he know anything about her relationship with Jack? Sam crossed that one-off. Jack would not have told him anything. He would rather have died instead of bringing his teammates into danger.

The door unlocked and the Colonel was ordered to step forward. Charles wanted to protest and help her but was pushed against the wall. This was not his place to stand strong. Sam had ordered him to stand down before. She had told him what was likely to come. Now, the situation was here. He couldn't help it. He had seen her look as if she would have told him again not to resist.

After she was gone he was alone. With his back leaning against a wall he rested his head in his hands.

* * *

Sam walked next to Ba`al. She looked around and tried to remember every little detail: which corner to take when, which rooms were where, which doors opened. It could come in handy over time. She couldn't tell now but would certainly regret it if she had not done anything. A door opened in front and as she stepped through she saw a beautiful ceiling with golden ornaments and little figures along the walls. She looked around and saw a big bed with four posts. The wood was dark. She wondered how he could have known that such a house here in the middle of nowhere exists. As if he could read her mind, he cleared his throat. "My faithful Jaffa's have built this house over the last few years. They found an old abandoned ruin in the middle of nothingness. All the rooms under the earth are new. A few more hidden away are new. The whole-cell compartment is new. It was all built just for you and the whole SG1. Here no one will hear your little screams and shouting. You are mine now and destiny will serve you.

* * *

Landry was sitting in his office. His head buried deep in paperwork as a knock on the door let him snap out of it. "Come in," he ordered and looked to the door to see who was entering it.

"General." Doctor Lam stood in front of the heavy wooden desk.

"Doctor, what can I do for you?" Hank looked at his daughter and saw her concern. Something was up.

"The parasite we got out of Teal`c? It is not just mechanical. It's all in one: a sender, a bomb, a life sucker. You name it, this thing has it. We have no idea where he got it from but with more experiments and study there is a solution as to how it can work for us."

"Ok, since it is like you said, we better get it transported to area 51. Put that thing in another double-sealed container just in case it might break free out of the first one. We don't want to have it running loose here on the base," he ordered and picked up the phone to make all the necessary arrangements to get it picked up.

"Very well. Thank you for your time, General." The good Doctor left and once back in the laboratory she executed the given order straight away.

* * *

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

Jack felt dizzy. Everything hurt as he finally sat against the stone wall. He closed his eyes and waited till the spinning of this room eased up a bit. As he investigated his wrist, he could see how the chains rubbed the first layer of the skin away. Jack's eyes had fallen to the bowl of water in front of him. Carefully and with shaking hands he picked it up and drank a few sips slowly.

Steps came closer and one guard stopped next to his cell. He watched Jack drink and with a disgusted grimace he turned and left again. With a bit of difficulty, the General managed to stand up. A small shiver rushed over his wounded back which caused more pain in his muscles. That's when he realized that he still only had his trousers on and nothing else.

Jack hoped that in here there would be a bit of heating going on. Nights could be getting cold. In small steps, he walked to the metal bars in front and leaned against them. He could not see or hear anything. Wondering what happened to his team was on top of his list right now. Still, he was not able to do anything.

* * *

Sam waited for the next move Ba`al would make. She didn't want to take the initiative. That could be a waiting game right now but if she anticipated him correctly it would not take long for him to make his first move. She was right. The System Lord opened a cabinet. Women's dresses flooded out and, in other circumstances, Sam would have loved to try them on. The fabric was the best as it`s ever going to be and the decorations were as rich as anyone could imagine.

"Colonel, come on over and choose what you would like to wear." Ba`al reached out for her hand to guide her over.

"These are wonderful dresses. I am just not sure if I am worth it to get dressed in one of these. I am very clumsy from time to time and don't want to rip them apart," she admitted with a shy smile.

"Colonel, that's a shame that you have started lying to me already. So far as I know you are one of the smartest people among the Tau`ri. So please stop stalling for time. I can get very uncomfortable if I get impatient. Don't worry, I will not lay a hand on you. That can ruin your face and your skin. No. I've got your team. I've got lots of ideas of what to do with them." Ba`al cleared his throat and carried on, "So if you would now please give me the honor it would be greatly appreciated." A sarcastic smile followed.

"Ok, let me see. You have quite convincing arguments at hand. I can pick any?" Sam looked him deep in his dark eyes.

"Any you want. I like them all."

"I will take this one. It's a soft fabric and the blue color goes with my eyes. Where can I get dressed?" The Colonel let her eyes gaze around the room. No corner to hide in to have a bit of privacy.

"Get yourself dressed here. Sooner or later I will see your female body anyway. So why not now?" He glared at her.

"Can you at least turn around? I am a bit shy after all." She played her final card to get out of getting dressed.

"So you can knock me over the head? Colonel, please. How stupid do you think I am?" He shook his head in disbelief.

"No, not stupid at all. You told me before that you've got my team, so you've got all the cards in your hand." Resignation swamped over her. He wouldn't go. She must get dressed.

"I've got a question for you." Sam came up with a final idea.

"What would that be, human?" Ba`al grew impatient.

"You like surprises?" Sam smiled at him.

"What is that for a question?" Ba`al seemed a bit off guard but came around quickly again. "You want to stall for more time still? I will start on O`Neill. His Back looks very good so far. Maybe we can give him some more scars. But this involves whether or not he will survive the second round. He looked a bit beaten after the first one." He called one of his guards and, before Sam could say anything, she heard how Ba'al gave the order she was so afraid of.

"I didn't want to delay anything. It was a simple question to please you. If you would like surprises, then I would have suggested that you leave the room and see me after I got fully dressed. Where do I want to go in here?" The Colonel tried hard not to lose her control.

"It is too late. See this as a kind of warning. Next time do as I say and when I say it. Otherwise, I will take one after another and see how long each of them can survive. I know what you are thinking. But, let me assure you, I don't have a sarcophagus here. Everyone who dies stays dead." He let one of his darkest smiles cover his face.

* * *

"Teal'c, any idea how to get out of here? We need to find the rest." Daniel swallowed hard. "God knows what's Ba`al is doing to them. You heard the screams earlier, right?" He watched his big friend closely to just not miss any possible facial expression.

"I heard them, Daniel Jackson. Right now, there is nothing we can do apart from waiting." He looked around as if to make sure he didn't miss anything. "We have to be patient and not show any sign of anxiety."

"Yes, you are right. We will get through this as always. The question is at what cost?" Daniel sat now quietly in a corner as new screams reached his ears.

* * *

Jack was hanging in the ceiling chains again. This time he got pulled up so high he barely touched the ground with his feet. His shoulders complained about the awkward position he was held in. As he was poked again and again with the pain stick his mind was racing. Ba`al wasn't here and still, these guys loved to administer the greatest possible pain to him.

In front of him now was standing the System Lord's first prime. O`Neill couldn't remember the bastard's name but knew that he was in for a treat. This guy was even more brutal than all the guards together. The first blow to his jaw came and immediately Jack spit out some blood. His body was slightly spinning. Stars appeared in front of his eyes as he got a blow to his knees. If he even had had the smallest footing, he lost it now. All his weight slumped into the metal chains. The beating to his rib cage he hardly noticed anymore. Blood was dripping out of his mouth. His head was hanging down. The blackness reached his eyes sooner than he wanted it to.

"Pull him higher," the first prime shouted and saw the limp body lifted more in the air. "Let him hang till our Lord decides what to do with him. Unfortunately, I am not allowed to kill this sorry excuse of a Tau`ri. Look at him. Once he was the great leader. Now?" His voice trailed off as he left the room. Very pleased with himself to fulfill once again the order of his master, he was on his way to give his report.

* * *

Sam was dressed by now. She had persuaded Ba`al to leave her for five minutes. It was not enough but for Sam, it was better than nothing.

The blue dress fitted her very well around all the female corners and highlighted all the necessary aspects. A golden necklace with some matching earrings rounded out the picture. The blond hair shimmered golden in the dim light of the room and if Jack could have seen her now he would not have behaved himself at all. Of that she was sure.

"You are looking good for a Tau`ri. You may come into my private chambers now to please me." Ba`al let his eyes gaze over her full figure as a knock on the door interrupted him. He opened it and saw his first prime who reported to him.

Sam had listened and some words she understood. Enough to make out that the General was in big trouble. Her body froze and her heart started to cry for the love she had for him. Before she could do anything her mind began to race and, as she looked around, she was sure to come up with something. They could not stay here any longer. If so, they would carry a dead General home. `Oh, Jack, why did you have to come out of retirement? Why is it always you? Hold on my love. We will get out of here. We will bring this to an end once and for all.` In her mind, she swore to herself to save him and the rest of her team. Right now, as far as she knew, she was the only one not in a cell or chained up somewhere.

Ba`al turned around to his prize and got such a big smirk on his face that the Colonel would have slapped him here and now. But it was not the time or the place. It will come, she just had to be patient.

"Your commanding officer is still alive. For now, at least. The rest is up to you. If you please me and treat me accordingly, he will be treated for his wounds. If you cannot satisfy me he will be left to die. You see, my dear, it is all in your hands." He stretched his hand out to her.

"I will do as you wish. Under one condition." Sam had her poker face on again.

"You are in no position to make demands. So come on now. I grow impatient again. Or do you want another of your teammates harmed?" The System Lord had lost his smile by now. It was taking far too long for his liking.

* * *

Charles was sitting in a corner of his cell. He was pondering in his brain the whole time how to get out and help his team. There must be a way to do so. After he was free, he would help Daniel and Teal`c and together they would search for Jack and Sam. The screams he heard earlier had been silent for quite a while now. He wondered if the tortured person was even still alive.

A guard came to check on him. He heard him before he saw the man and played dead. With a bit of luck, the guard would open the door- the only chance he saw to escape. But he had to be quiet and careful. No good to alarm the other guards. He knew that he was trained well but even Charles doubted he could take on more than two or maybe three of the guards.

The door opened and he felt a soft kick against his leg. The heart rate was already slowed down and the breathing almost stopped. No indication gave away that the young Lieutenant was alive. The guard knelt beside his prisoner and just as he wanted to check for a life sign he got a knock over his head. The heavy body dropped onto the officer. After a bit of a struggle, the young man got himself free and took the Zat gun, the pain stick and locked the door behind him.

He took another two guards out on the way to find Daniel and Teal`c. By the time he had found the cell he was looking for, a few guards were chasing him already. Quickly, he gave guns to his friends. There was no time to unlock the door but three shooters were better than just one.

* * *

Jack awoke with a big headache. His breathing was shallow, and he had to check if he even had arms. The feeling was gone. A groan escaped deep out of his throat. With that, he alarmed a guard who was standing near him. The Jaffa`s command was plain and simple: if the prisoner tries anything or someone tries to rescue him kill the hanging man.

The General realized how a pair of dark eyes watched him closely. Jack licked his blood-dried lips and started coughing. He cried out in pain as he felt how his ribs protested against the sudden movement.

"Quiet," the guard demanded.

"How can I be quiet if I have to cough? That's a natural thing to do. I can't help it," Jack stated with a croaky voice.

"You will be quiet immediately or I will see to it myself." With the stick waiving in front of Jack's eyes he made himself understood.

Jack only nodded slowly. He was not in the mood for another round. Quite the opposite was the case. His mind escaped to a nice sandy beach with palms, watching his wife coming out of the water in slow motion. Without noticing he put a weak smile on his face. But what he noticed was the pain afterward. He screamed in agony. Confused he looked to his tormentor.

"What was that for? I was not making a sound," he exclaimed with a soft voice.

"You smiled. You made fun of me. I will ask for permission to kill you myself for that insult." The guard replied ice cold.

"Big guy, my smile had nothing to do with you. You are in charge here. Why should I make fun of you? You are just enjoying that whole pain stick thing a bit too much for my taste. Why not put it to the side. Let me loose and I will show you some cool stuff. You may learn something along that line." Jack grimaced as a new wave of pain was shooting through his body.

"I am not stupid. I will not let you get away with it. I don't believe what are you telling me. So be quiet and don't smile. Maybe and just maybe I will let you live, you little bug." He was holding the stick very close to Jack's neck now but didn't touch the skin. It was enough to see the fear in his victim's eyes.

* * *

All the guards that had been chasing the young officer had been put in the cell where Daniel and Teal'c had been just a minute ago. The firefight didn't take long and all three once more had been on their way. After they had chosen which one to go after first, it was the Colonel who was the lucky winner.

The team had enough guns and sticks with themselves to fight a whole army with them. Room after room got checked and so far no luck occurred for the trio. Daniel felt how the time was running through their hands, and it got more and more difficult to stay focused and calm. From Charles, he knew that Sam was with Ba`al and neither one of them wanted to imagine what he would do to her.

The trio heard a scream and set straight away into running gear. As they reached the room where they were thinking the scream came from, they busted the door open. The picture that awaited them tied a knot in their stomachs. Sam was lying on the bed, her arms tied to the posts in the corner of the bed. Her dress was ripped from her body and Ba`al was just going to rape her as her friends came in. Teal`c with his quick reaction fired a shot with his Zat at Ba`al. The body slumped on the bed and bounced off it just to drop to the floor.

Daniel untied Sam who was shivering all over. Looking for something to wear, she found what she was looking for in a drawer. Her breath and heartbeat calmed down a bit. The next question she had was about Jack. She was so concerned about him that it was hard to stay focused after all.

Charles and Teal'c had tied Ba`al up as good as they could and followed Sam and Daniel in the direction where Jack had been held captive.

* * *

The guard was pacing the room with his prisoner hanging in the middle. He was wondering why no one came anymore. The regular check time was long overdue, and he didn't know what to do. If he left him alone to go and have a look at what was going on, O'Neill might escape and he would get punished. If he stayed here as ordered he would miss the action and never get promoted in the ranks to one day become the first prime of his Lord and master.

A quick look at the Tau`ri gave him the idea. Raising the pain stick he held it onto Jack's scalp and waited till his victim lost all consciousness. The guard was pleased with himself to think about it in that way. Now he could check up on where the other guards had been for so long.

Carefully sneaking out of the room, he used the dark corners and moved smoothly like a tiger. He covered quite a big area so far without finding anyone. His next move was to check the cell block to see if the prisoners had still all been in there or had they escaped somehow. His eyes grew big as he saw so many Jaffa guards lying on top of each other in one cell unconscious. Quickly he opened the door. A few attempts to wake them up failed and so he moved on leaving the door open. Once they were coming back to the land of the living, he would be treated like a king as he had saved them all.

The next stop was the private chambers of his master. If the Tau`ri had reached them, no one knew what they would have done to his master. But he would survive. The guard was sure of it. His Lord was a God and Gods don't die.  
Standing in the private room of Ba`al he needed a few seconds to accustom his eyes to the dim light. That's when he saw him. In a few steps, he reached the limp body, untied it and waited till his master came around. This didn't take too long.

"Where is SG1?" Ba`al was fuming. His eyes glowed and he was up on his feet in no time. As he saw his guard, he checked him over from head to toe and repeated his question.

"I don't know, master." He bowed his head.

"Where is their Leader and who guards him?" he barked with a deep voice.

"The Tau`ri Leader is still hanging securely in the room where you have ordered it the first place. I was his guard and before I left him, I made sure he was unconscious so as not to do any stupid things," the Jaffa replied proudly.

"Fool!" Ba`al pushed him to the side and was now running to the room he had prepared as his torture chamber.

* * *

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

Next chapter for all of you who enjoy this little story. Thanks to my brilliant beta Bettie. Love you, sweetie. I am on holiday soon. So will post all before and then its a long break. But will continue writing after my vacation.

kahuna: I have thought about it, but where is all the fun when its over so soon. You guys dont have anything to read and this way makes it a bit longer.

I love all the feedbacks i get. keep them coming. its very encouraging :)

* * *

SG1 had found very quickly the room they had been searching for. The Colonel had inhaled a very deep breath and was holding it longer than anticipated. The situation that was presented to her in front of her eyes was hard to take in. The General was hanging from the ceiling. No life sign as far she could tell right now. There was blood everywhere. If she had to clean him up right now, she wouldn't know where to start. Teal`c was already at the side with the mechanism to lower his friend to the floor. Gently, Charles and Sam lowered the limp body to the ground while Daniel was standing guard.

Sam checked for a pulse. Panic tried to win the upper hand in her body as she didn't feel one at first touch. Digging her fingertips a bit deeper into his neck she felt what she was searching for. The beat was slow and faint. Checking him over quickly Sam had found three possible broken ribs and by the looks of his jaw, it was broken too. The colors of black, blue and purple had been fighting over the areas of the body for a while now.

"Jack?" Sam called his name with a soft voice.

"Jack, can you hear me?" Sam raised her voice. So far it was fruitless. The body in front of her remained motionless.

Sam called for Teal`c to help her somehow. Right now, she didn't even know how. All she knew was they needed to get him out of here and out of the hands from that sadistic, brutal System Lord who took a very big liking towards Jack.

Teal'c scooped him off the ground and carried him out of the room. No idea where to go, just go. The Jaffa stepped one foot in front of the other. Sam took the lead and Daniel together with Charles covered their six.

* * *

Ba`al was now more running then walking. He had his prisoners on the loose and didn't want to imagine if they had released his prize. He saw the General as his big holy grail. He was the big Tau`ri leader once. Now frail and fragile. From what he heard O'Neill was in bad shape but still good enough to play with.

As he stepped into the desired room, his voice was echoing in the whole house. The disappointment that the chains had been empty, and his toy was gone was so severe that he screamed like a little kid who lost his lollipop.

As he turned around he found his army standing behind him. Not as fresh as he had wished for but it must do for now. He barked his orders to find the escaping enemies and bring them back. He didn't care anymore if dead or alive.

* * *

The fresh air slammed into their faces. By now the dawn came and the night slowly said goodbye. Under a nearby tree, Teal`c lowered his burden. Jack was still unconscious and had everybody worried. The pulse was getting a bit stronger which Sam took as a good sign.

She slapped her CO slightly over his cheeks. He must wake up otherwise there was no way of escaping at all. Even now the chances were very slim.

Jack started to stir. He groaned and gasped for air. He felt like he was drowning. Not enough of the so very important gas could reach his lungs. As he opened his eyes his vision was blurry. He saw someone hovering over him but not did know who. Instinct kicked in and he tried to defend himself with all he had, kicking and punching around him. Every movement gave him more agony and sent pain spells through his whole body.

He made a choice. No more capture. He would rather die from the attempt to escape. A sweet voice reached his consciousness. Someone called his name.

"Jack! "It was from Sam.

"Jack, please." Her voice sounded a bit more desperate but he would not listen to her.

"Jack, calm down. You are saved now." Sam's voice had switched from desperation to a firm military mode. She remembered that Janet had once told her whenever she needed to calm him down and nothing worked that Jack was a soldier and he would listen to commands.

"That's better. Now, General, I need you to look at me." The Colonel remained in that mode for now. To see her husband like this broke her heart but now was not the time to dwell on it.

Jack moved his eyes to the voice he heard. A blond woman came into his vision field getting sharper with every second that passed by. "Sam?" His soft voice was barely able to be heard.

"Yes, it's me. You are doing good, General. Now you need to sit up. I know it will hurt but we need to keep moving." Teal`c and Sam helped Jack to stand without waiting for him to consent on that matter. Time was running out and if they all wanted to make it out of here alive it was time to move.

Shouting came to the ears of Daniel and Charles. The Jaffa Army of Ba`al was very close now. The first shot had been fired in their direction. Teal`c helped O`Neill to walk while the rest answered the fire. One after one the Jaffa fell to the ground till only Ba'al`s first Prime and he was standing on the green in front of the big house.

In his low deep voice, Ba'al announced that it was all fenced in with no way to escape. All of them stopped in their tracks. Turning around SG1 faced their biggest enemy. The first Prime aimed at Jack and fired. Teal`c was bracing himself for impact and standing by his friend but it never came. A loud dull noise was heard and the young Lieutenant was lying on the ground. The staff blast which had hit him was in the centerpiece of his chest and gave him no chance to survive. SG1 was stunned for only a second.

Ba`al was surprised. He turned to his first Prime and only with his look questioned him. No word came out but in that second both aliens understood and opened fire on SG1.

Jack saw it first and pushed Sam out of the way. While falling she caught Daniel and pulled him to the ground as well. Jack grimaced with the impact. The sheer force the fall had given to his ribs knocked all the air out of his lungs. The darkness crept upon him again and with all his will he pushed that to the side. Now was not the time to go to sleep.

Teal'c was firing his Zat already and by now the rest of his friends joined in. Sparkly blue waves kept flying till the first one hit the ground. The first Prime laid motionless at the feet of his master. Ba`al instantly ran back to the house. He didn't have any cover and for him, it was a miracle that he wasn't hit by the shooting.

All four members walked now slowly and carefully towards the building. As he was walking past, Teal'c shot the first Prime a second time. Now he would never get up ever again.

Reaching the door Jack leaned against the wall. His breathing was heavier than ever and he struggled now for everybody to see, to stay on his feet. Daniel, the nearest to him, tried to steady his friend as well as he could.

Teal'c was the first to enter closely followed by the Colonel. Jack swallowed and pulled the last of his bodily resources together. He stood up straight and followed his two teammates. Daniel had been the last to enter.

No sign of the System Lord so far. Slowly walking forward checking every room and corner, they covered the ground floor in no time till a big evil laugh reached their ears. Sam looked up and saw Ba`al grinning all over his face on the top floor. In that second he let fall a device. Sam shouted for cover in the same instant and it was just enough to jump away from the blast which erupted and nearly destroyed all of the immediate areas.

Daniel screamed as he flew against the wall pushed by Jack. As he landed on his right wrist he could hear the bones cracking. That was the last thing he needed now. As the young man opened his eyes he saw his older friend on the floor near his feet. Jack had lost consciousness again while saving Daniel's sorry ass. He felt honored to be called a friend by this motionless body. Years back, on their first mission, it was a rocky start and Jack made it clear more than once that he had little tolerance left for scientists. Now he was here with him and had gotten his butt saved again.

Sam checked the General over while Teal'c helped Daniel to put an emergency splint on his wrist. It didn't take long for Jack to come around again. But, as he woke up once more, his body was feeling cold and he hurt all over.

"It`s ok, General. Stay still. There is no need to get up again. We will go after Ba`al. Daniel will stay with you. I promise you that we will get him and he will pay for all he has done." Sam knelt next to Jack as she told him her plans.

"Hurts so much. Be…. Ca`fu….." Jack looked at his wife in her blue eyes and tried to focus. His speech began to slur and it was getting harder for him to stay awake again. But the danger was not over. He trusted his teammates with everything he had but his role as protector was not finished yet. The enemy was still on the loose and posed an immediate danger.

"Daniel, stay with the General. You are his bodyguard now." Sam had laid a hand on the archaeologist's shoulder.

"Colonel Carter, we must go" Teal`c made his friend aware of the obvious.

"Coming." Sam stood next to Teal`c and gazed at the two men on the floor for one last second before she followed her friend into the last battle or so she hoped.

* * *

Ba`al was well on the way to escape. He had hoped that the little friendly grenade would have gotten rid of his followers but fortunately, luck was not on his side.

He ran as fast as he could in all the secret ways along through the house. His little escape ship, covered up very well, was not far away now. Just a little bit more. Just another few yards. Just a few more steps. And then he felt himself falling.

Lying on the floor he gripped his left thigh. The shooting pain was his companion and as he investigated what just happened he felt blood coming from an entry wound. He looked up and saw a half of the SG1 team standing over him.

Sam was holding the System Lord at gunpoint while Teal`c helped Ba`al to stand up and secured his hands behind his back. Slowly they walked back to where Daniel and Jack had been left.

* * *

"Jack, thank you for saving my life." Daniel attempted to start a conversation. He didn't know what condition his friend was in but knew it wasn't good for him to have his eyes closed. The danger to fall asleep was so much higher. That would cause just so much more trouble.

"Hmmm, you wod…. do…. sa," Came Jack's slow and slurred response.

"Jack, come on. You've been through worse stuff than that. Don't you die on me now. Sam and Teal'c did surely catch Ba`al already and that means rescue is on its way." Daniel shifted his weight slightly for more comfort.

"Hurts…. Wanna sleep" Jack`s soft voice was more a pleading to end the pain he was in than anything else.

"Jack, you can`t. Let's talk about Sam. Where will you take her for holiday this year? Anything planned already?" The panic for his friend rising, Daniel carried on talking.

"Ship…," Jack mumbled.

"You both are going on a cruise?" Daniel looked at his friend in disbelief. He never knew his friends had been on that kind of holiday.

"Ye…" Jack started to cough.

"Where to?" Daniel was pleased with himself. He seemed to have found a theme to keep his friend talking for a bit longer.

"War…. Warm…. Philip…." Jack grimaced. A new spell of pain washed over him.

"Which ship are you going on"

"Que…. Lisbeth….."

"Wow, that's great. Which company you are going with?"

"Cunard."

"Never heard of it. Where is it from?"

"Engl…." Jack started to cough again. This time blood was visible around his mouth.

`Blood, that's not good. That last fall must have punctured his lung with an already broken rib.` Daniel thought.

"Do…. Tell….. Sam…. Surpi….." With that Jack gave in to the feeling to float away. He tried long as possible but the relief he would feel now, free of pain, was just too tempting.

In that same instant, Sam came back followed by a limping Ba`al closely guarded by Teal`c. Her smile was wiped away as she saw the fresh blood droplets on the face of her husband.

"Daniel?" was all she could bring out.

The younger man looked at her and told her what had happened. He could see how hard it became for Sam to stay focused.

"Daniel, help is on its way. We need to keep an eye on Ba`al and make Jack as comfortable as possible." Her vision became blank.

"Colonel Carter, I would suggest that this System Lord is better in a cell," Teal`c stated as he could see that Sam became more and more stressed with the whole situation.

"Good idea. Go on." She gave him her approval.

Teal`c took care of the prisoner while Sam had lowered herself to the floor. She tried to sit as close as possible to Jack. She started to talk to him while stroking his short hair.

* * *

A few hours later

"Sam, the cavalry is here. How is Jack doing?" Daniel was standing by the window and had seen a lot of men arriving: Special Forces and Medical teams. In a few seconds, there would be a lot of noise and no more quietness in that house.

"Not good. His pulse is weak but rapid. He is still unconscious." Sam looked at her friend.

The door got pushed open and orders had been shouted out. Like a swarm of bees, everybody knew what to do and took their position. A separate helicopter was already on the scene to take Ba'al to the SGC. The marines from SG3 had been assigned to guard him all the way.

A Medical team was hovering over the General. If Jack could have seen that all these people making a fuss around him, he would have shooed them away. Sam would have loved to have seen that right now. But nothing like that happened.

She watched closely as busy hands had been working on her husband. In silence she prayed that it was not too late, knowing how often he jumped off the devil's shovel. Then the time just stood still. Jack's heart had stopped. For Sam, it was just like in a bad movie. Everything just slowed down to a near standstill. She heard the voices shouting and talking to him. Syringes were filled and administered. She saw how a big one was pushed into his heart. The little monitor which was attached to him still showed a flatline and the long constant peep brought her back into reality.

Getting herself worked up, panic started to climb up to her like a little phantom. She heard how someone said that it's well over five minutes now and that the adrenaline didn't seem to work. She saw how his body got raised in the air by the shocks he received over and over again, every time with a bit more electricity.

The Colonel couldn't believe what she saw. In her desperation, she shouted his name as loud as she could. He had to listen to her. That's what he always did. She reminded herself of their first meeting years back in the briefing room of the SGC. After a few words had been juggled around, he told her that he had a little problem with scientists but that he loved women. She knew by now that he had lots of respect for Daniel and herself. He often came to her and had asked her astrophysics stuff to understand it better. A smile came over her face at how he looked like a shy little boy as he came and asked her about the wormhole. She tried to break it down for him and with some graphics explaining, he seemed to get it.

This man with so many different layers was now lying before her with a team of highly trained Medical doctors who were helping him fight for his life. She registered how another syringe was filled and administered into his heart. If he didn't start to come around soon how long would the Medical team fight for him?

"Colonel, can you come here, please? You need to get close and talk to him. The General needs to know that you are here. He needs to know that you are ok, well and safe. Don't worry. Since the hearing always stays a bit longer than the rest, he will hear you. My hope is that once he is realizing that you are safe and sound, he will come around and start fighting once again. But it must be soon. Otherwise, it will be too late for him.

Sam got down next to her husband's head to be as close to his ears as possible. Her warm breath swept over his face as she started talking into his right ear.

"Jack, listen to me. It's me, Sam, your wife. I am ok. Ba`al is in custody and we are all safe. The only thing right now is that you don't want to live. Jack, you must fight. I didn't want to tell you this before but, Jack, I am carrying your child. I don't want the baby to grow up without a father. Jack, I know how much you love kids. Please come back to me and we will have a family. We can get a dog too. Please, I am begging you…" Sam had bloodshot eyes by now and looked at the machine which was still showing a flatline.

* * *

TBC


	8. Chapter 8

Thank you all for the nice feedback. Love it so much and gives me a nice warm feeling around my little heart :)

dpdp: thank you. going to Canada for 3 weeks and have the opportunity to meet up with Dean Aylesworth (played Anubis in SG1). So excited by now/

Here is now the next chapter. like always. would be great if you guys let me know what you thinking :)

* * *

Time was running away. Till the beeping changed. At first, she didn't notice. She was so concentrating on him. The flatline got interrupted. A spike occurred, then another. Coming back to reality she heard one of the doctors praise her for doing such a good job and bringing the General back.

Carefully, Jack has been placed on a stretcher. His vital signs had gotten stronger. He hadn't regained consciousness. The team around him loaded the motionless body in the back of a helicopter. Sam sat next to him and a lot of IV bags had been attached to the ceiling. Jack was stable, for now.

Daniel and Teal`c had been in another helicopter and had been flying back to the SGC. The job for SG1 was done. The question was at what cost?  
Favoring his arm, Daniel looked out the window. The mountains of Colorado came into view. Oh, how he loved to be back home.

* * *

Holding Cell

Ba`al paced up and down in his little cell. He was given food and water. Two Special Forces members had been positioned outside.

"How long do you want to keep me here?" he growled but no answer came.

"I have rights, I demand…" He was interrupted by a loud bang on the door. The key turned in the lock.

A man in a white shirt was escorted by two marines. He stood in front of the cell. Not saying anything, he just watched the prisoner. By watching he noticed how nervous the System Lord got from a standstill till now where he was pacing the little perimeter in his cell again.

"What do you want?" Ba`al abruptly stood in front of the man.

"My name is General Landry. You are in a very secure base with no option of escape. I would suggest that you comply with us fully." He took a deep breath still thoroughly evaluating the prisoner. He had read the report of Jack`s ordeal with this Goa'uld, the torture, and the sarcophagus experience. He would not underestimate him.

The alarm sound made a very loud noise. Ba`al had covered his ears while watching the General leave. As the door opened, nobody had noticed the little black creature slipping through the gap. An airman shouted to the General where the security breach was and as he was running to the laboratory Doctor Lam came running in his direction already.

"Sir, we have lost the parasite. He was bouncing in his double glassed container like mad, so we put him in another container. Just for good measure, he was then put in another double glassed container. Sir, this little thing broke out of a closed and sealed six glassed broken safe container," the Doctor announced still in disbelief and out of breath.

"I guess it's not broken safe anymore doctor," the General smiled slyly and over the com, he ordered a complete lockdown of the base.

* * *

Jack was just brought into the mountain on the way to the infirmary as the alarm sound was raised. Sam was ever so glad for the timing as she saw behind them the big thick steel door closing. She concluded that something bad must have happened when the mountain is on lockdown. Looking at the pale face of her husband, she decided to see the General himself to get the up to date information.

She flew up the few steps and knocked on the door. The General wasn't in. Carter didn't know where to check for him. Just as she had decided what to do next the base commander came around the corner.

"General." Sam was caught off guard.

"Colonel." Hank greeted her.

"What's going on if you do not mind me asking?" Sam walked next to her CO back to his office.

"We had a security breach. Something or someone escaped from the lab section. So stay put," he advised her. His face did not allow for further discussion. Sam left without any more words being exchanged.

* * *

It didn't take her long to get to the infirmary on level 21. She had been here way too often because of her or her team having been injured. She had found the bed where her husband was lying. The monitors and pipes around him looked alien to her. She had seen it a few times as bad as now but she couldn't get used to it. She didn't even know if she wanted to. Probably not as this would have meant a certain exception in her life. Sam never wanted to be ready for stuff like this.

Jack had his eyes closed. His heartbeat was steady. No machines were in use for additional life support. She saw it as a good sign. Her thoughts flew back to that house, how he was lying there. He looked so vulnerable at that moment. Without noticing she picked up his hand and with soft strokes she made him aware she was with him, at his side through thick and thin.

Behind her, Daniel and Teal`c appeared. It was Daniel who found his words first. "How is he?"

"He still has not regained consciousness. But he is breathing on his own and his heartbeat is stronger as well. The doctor said it's a waiting game." Sam slumped a bit further in her chair.

"Sam, don't worry. He will come around again. It`s Jack we are talking about. He always kicks back. You know him better than any of us. So, stay strong and believe in him." Daniel laid one hand on her shoulder. Teal`c had organized some chairs and had given Daniel one.

"Daniel, how is your wrist?" Sam just remembered.

"It's ok. Still hurting a bit but if it weren't for Jack it could have been worse." He cleared his throat.

"Can you not just be quiet? Here is a guy who just wants to sleep," Jack stated with a very soft voice. All three heads shot around to face him.

"Jack, you are awake. Thank goodness for that. How are you feeling?" Sam put her biggest smile on her face just for him.

"I will go and get Doctor Lam for you, O`Neill," Teal`c announced and walked away.

* * *

Ba`al felt not right. His vision was more and more blurry, and he felt drained of all his energy. White slime dripped out of his mouth and as he tried to stand up he just tumbled over and laid there motionless on the floor.

Hearing the fall the door was opened as a medical team had been called by the two guards who had secured the area. The General had been called and the little cell was converted into an ant's state. Some would say it was organized chaos.

The medical team tried whatever they could but it was too late. The Goa'uld had died. The question now was how and why. The symbiote should have protected its host.  
Back in the infirmary, the dead body was placed on a stretcher to receive an fMRI scan. The hope was to see what was going on.

Sam watched the scene from the other side of the room. The doctor had been quite pleased about the recovery of the General. As Jack had drifted off to sleep a few minutes ago, she walked over to observe.

"What's going on? What`s with him?" Sam spoke to an SF guy who had been standing by on the side while pointing towards the System Lord.

"He is dead," was the short answer.

Sam had gone back to her husband's bed. Daniel was still sitting there with Teal'c and both had a questioning look on their faces. Sam explained what she had witnessed and after counting one and one together she was going over again to warn the scientist about her conclusion.

With more caution, the scan was a success and to gain more knowledge some blood samples had been taken as well.

* * *

Two weeks later

"Can I get up now? Doc, I have been in here for ages." Jack shouted like a little boy who wanted to get the attention he felt he deserved.

"General O`Neill. You cannot get up yet. Your heart is still in recovery mode. Please be more patient. It helps us all," Doctor Lam told him and was on her way out as she saw the Colonel standing in the door. She smiled wearily and left.

"Jack, are you giving the Doctor a hard time again?" Sam smiled and slid a chair next to his bed.

"No. I just asked if I can get out of bed," he muttered.

"How many times did you ask her today already?" Sam was having a hard time keeping a straight face somehow.

"Don't know, maybe fifty times? It could be a bit more." He looked at her with one of his boyish grins and then went straight-faced again. "Have you heard anything about the parasite?"

"I did." Sam cleared her throat "The parasite is designed and programmed to attack Jaffa and Goa'uld. It had attacked Teal'c because he had had one and the parasite probably still could sense its presence. The only reason that Teal`c had still been alive was that he doesn't carry a symbiote anymore. The little parasite realized it and left the body. That's why the medics could help him and he made recovery so fast." She paused and watched him. She knew how he was thinking about all the technobabble. For her, it did not seem complicated but for someone who wasn't interested as much as she was, it was a bigger piece of pie to chew on. After he nodded that he was ok she carried on.

"So, as the Team brought Ba`al into the mountain the parasite felt the presence of the symbiote. Due to the remarkable structure of its outer shell, it has managed to break out of a container which was three times double glassed. It had found Ba'al and killed the symbiote. Unfortunately, the host didn't survive." Now she waited. Jack's brain was still a bit foggy and it took him a bit longer than usual to get his thoughts together and his mind around the things that had happened.

"Let me get this straight. The scan showed that this little tiny parasite had wiggled around the symbiote in Ba`al`s head. It has died during the fMRI scan, right?" He looked at her for a sign that he got it right so far. He saw her nodding, so he carried on. "So the parasite was not a parasite then as we know it. It was mechanical. Did our scientists have any luck with the search and reconstruction?"

"Not yet, they are still working on it. The magnetic field from the scanner had done a good job of frying the little bugger. So it will still take a while," Sam answered truly.

"Do we know where it comes from? Who would build such a thing?" Jack was getting more and more frustrated with himself and the world around him. The General was stuck here in this bed. He felt fine but was not allowed to get up yet. So boredom was setting in faster and harder as each day passed.

"No, it seems like no one knows where it's coming from. If we take into consideration how fast it had killed Ba`al, then we know it was not long here before it had attacked Teal`c." Sam was holding his hand now without even realizing it.

"Sam, do me a favor will ya? Go to the computer database. Check the time Teal'c came to you. Give the little bug about a maximum of, let's say ten minutes and check if there were any Stargate activations where teams came back from off-world. You can bring me the data here if you don't mind. We can figure that one out and send a team over to check out what's going on. It seems that it's kind of safe for humans to go there." He looked at her and she could see his hope rising. It would mean he had something to do and would not die of boredom.

"I will see what I can do. It will take a bit of time. So get some rest and I will come back later if I have something that would support your theory." She kissed him and left. Jack stared at the grey ceiling above him.

* * *

Sam checked the idea Jack had told her and found a team that just came back at that time. It was SG22. The young Air Force soldiers had just been on a routine mission. She had checked the CCTV from the camera above the Stargate. The memories of the file she had read came back. SG22 had lost two of its members. One of them was still in the infirmary and had told everybody how Lieutenant Charles Becket had saved his life. That was the moment when the Colonel realized that something was not adding up here. According to the airman in the infirmary, he was rescued by Charles who dragged him to the gate. He was severely wounded and if the Lieutenant had not done what he did the young officer would have been dead.

* * *

Back in the infirmary, Jack was playing with a pen in his hand. As promised, he didn't annoy the nurses anymore. His face lit up as he saw his wife coming back.

"Hey, nice for you to come back." Jack smiled and stretched his arms out to kiss his wife.

"Hey, nice to be back. Jack, a lot is going on so I hope you are ready for everything I am going to tell you now." She kissed him and sat in a chair. "Your hunch had been right. The SG22 team had been on a routine mission which had gone a bit sideways. I brought you the file of the report. Only two out of four survived. One is still here in the infirmary and the other one was Lieutenant Becket." She looked at him just to make sure he was still with her and had not drifted off into his little world.

"I have heard about that mission. Becket is a fine officer," Jack replied and shifted his weight slightly to be more comfortable.

"The only issue I have with that is...he is dead."

"Well, I know that. I have seen it if you remember." Jacks eyes darkened

"You don't get it, Jack. He has been dead for over three years. When I checked his name on my computer it came up with that. Why nobody picked it up before I don't know. Why nobody had told you, I don't know either. I have phoned his commanding officer from that time and he had told me that it was an accident. While training, an explosive container had gone not the way it was supposed to go. He pushed three of his teammates out of the way. Charles got hit by the solid content in the neck. It broke and he died instantly. I am so sorry, Jack." She had taken his hand and with soft strokes, she tried to comfort him.

"The question now is who was that who had gone with us on the last mission and jumped in front of me when Ba`al tried to shoot me?" Jack looked at her with sad eyes. He loved that kid so much.

"I have checked in the morgue already. The body isn't there anymore. Nobody knows where it's gone or what happened to it. No paperwork whatsoever. If you believe in it or not, I think Charles is back as a ghost. He is not finished here on earth. He came back to save more lives. I could be wrong, but it makes the most sense to me." Sam stood up and got them both a glass of water.

"Possible. We have seen so many crazy things over the past years. Nothing surprises me. Have you found anything out about the bug?" Trying to change the subject Jack steered in the direction it was more important to deal with.

"Not much. It came from PX978324 where SG22 was. How it came with them I don't know. Maybe it crawled into a back bag. The next step would be to get a team to check it out - what's going on and who lives there and so on. The decision will be by General Landry once I tell him everything we have found out." With that she arose and, after promising to come back later, she left him alone for the second time.

* * *

General Landry was sitting in his office as he heard the knock at his door. Telling the person on the other side to come in, he finished off his paperwork he was just busy with.

Sam entered with a few folders in front of herself holding them like a shield. "Sir, we need to talk."

It took Sam almost an hour to explain everything to her CO and to convince him that they have to go back to that planet.

* * *

1 year Later

"Sam? Have you seen the little queasy toy of Charles?" Jack lifted all the cushions from the sofa and looked in every chair. As he didn't receive an answer, he looked up and saw her standing at the kitchen window.

The time had flown past so quickly over the last year. They had become parents and been blessed with a beautiful baby boy whom they named Charles Jake O`Neill. The little worm was around six months by now and knew how to get the attention of everybody.

The General had gone back to his normal health. He remembered that a team went back to that planet and didn't find anything. The mystery stands to this day. Nobody knows where the little bug came from or who had built it.

With the baby, Colonel Carter had retired as well and was now spending her time with her family. The last mission with her husband was too close to call and she wanted to have nice memories with the people she loved...her Family.

After more research, scientists had found out that the Ba`al they had captured was a clone...one of so many. So the real one is still out there - somewhere.

In time, everything will go back to normal...If this was ever possible.

The End


End file.
